Faerie Tale
by Humble Hill Dweller
Summary: The Fairy Tail guild faces off against threats to both their world and their comrades. Rewrite of Fairy Tail. Expect much of the same in terms of characters and events, but be prepared for a great deal of change. In particular, characterization, world-building and tone are being revamped. Original content is guaranteed. Canon is a foundation, but not a precise model.
1. Prologue

**Prologue:**

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 **Siegrain, Magic Council Headquarters, August 12, 784**

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"Siegrain Sternberg," said Crawford Seam in a displeased tone, "I trust that you can explain why you are late to such an important session of the Magic Council?"

"Of course, Chairman," Siegrain replied respectfully, "I would never intend to waste an opportunity that the Council has granted me." He looked at the woman to his left, whose demeanor showed embarrassment and anxiety. She stepped forward, bowing deeply to the group of men and women seated in front of her, and began to speak in a shy and halting tone that bordered on a stutter.

"My deepest apologies, honorable Councilors; the fault lies with me. You see, I'd arranged for maintenance on Mr. Sternberg's projection Lacrima to take place at this hour. I was never made aware that the time and place of this meeting had been changed; I only meant to be as productive as possible. My mistake delayed Mr. Sternberg's arrival and has derailed your schedule. Once again, I am sorry."

Siegrain smiled as the thought projections of himself and his assistant turned transparent for a few seconds before stabilizing. "As you can see, the Lacrima needs some fine-tuning." His assistant retreated as Siegrain brought the Council's attention back to himself. "I was able to speed up the work in order to join you as soon as I could. If there's anything you wish to discuss with me, we may now begin."

Lorenz, the Icelands Councilor, frowned as he steepled his hands. His eyes dispassionately scanned Siegrain's assistant, who fidgeted slightly. Lorenz turned to look at Siegrain. "If Ms. Utyosova is incompetent, you should dismiss her. It is not appropriate for you to be late due to an assistant's inadequacies."

Siegrain took in a deep breath. "Mari," he said, "I believe I can handle this meeting on my own. I would appreciate it if you could start work on another task for me. Please get in touch with the Wizard Saints and let them know that I need to speak with them today. Their contact information is in my study's desk, top left drawer."

"Of course, sir," she said, head bobbing in a quick nod. She flashed Siegrain a smile containing gratitude as well as apology, vanishing as she ended her thought projection.

Siegrain smiled politely at Lorenz. "If I need assistance in handling my personnel, I shall request it. Otherwise, you shouldn't concern yourself with my staff. Mari is exceptional at what she does and I'm not about to replace her over such a well-meaning, harmless mistake. She's only human, after all."

Lorenz pulled his hands back as though they'd touched something hot and scowled at Siegrain, who glared back at him without hesitation. This wasn't the first time they had been hostile to each other and it almost certainly wouldn't be the last.

The Chairman spoke, his tone now somewhat less dissatisfied. "If the two of you have finished," Lorenz and Siegrain both shifted their expressions into the proper deference, though Siegrain doubted that either of them was being honest about it, "this meeting can commence." Crawford leaned forward. "We've evaluated your plans for the restructuring of wizard guild systems across Council territory and found them to have certain merits, but they shall need extensive alterations before we can consider implementing them. It has been suggested that a committee be established to determine exactly what those modifications entail, but we have yet to vote on that option."

Siegrain resisted the urge to sigh. It was going to be one of _those_ meetings, then. "Why exactly," he began, his voice tightly controlled, "do you believe that my ideas ought to be adjusted? In what way have I failed to perform the task you gave me?" As he spoke, he met the Chairman's eyes, before turning his attention to the other Councilors, adding, "I was asked to develop measures that would allow the Council to resist future invasions from the Alvareth Empire. The proposals I submitted were the best I could do, considering the circumstances we're working with." The Councilors all understood what the Alvareth situation was, but they didn't seem to appreciate just how difficult it had been to develop feasible courses of action. Alvareth had conquered all of Alakitasia, which gave them access to every resource on their continent, and was ruled by a dictator with supposedly indomitable magical power. Meanwhile, the Council only had authority over the majority of Ishgar, which was a smaller continent, and ruled through democratic nations that sought to keep magicians from trampling over those without magic. Alvareth had nearly none of the Council's vulnerabilities and most of their advantages; the only reasons Ishgar hadn't already been conquered were the Council's magical deterrents and, despite their classified nature, Siegrain knew enough about those to realize that they were not acceptable long-term solutions.

Yajima, the Councilor from the Kingdom of Fiore, spoke. "In particular, your idea of turning wizard guilds into extensions of their nation's militaries can't be carried out. It's too vast a cultural shift to Council society, particularly for our magical populations. Guilds of any sort are close-knit groups, but wizard guilds don't usually stay together through common economic interests; no matter what side of the law they're on, the wizards of a true guild tend to form very powerful bonds. Even if your proposals were put into effect, it is all but certain that many guilds would reject them. Alienating the wizards isn't worth the slight increase to our capabilities that would result from turning their guilds into auxiliary forces."

If there was anyone present that could convince Siegrain of his flawed reasoning on this issue, it'd be Shiro Yajima. Siegrain had never been in a magical guild, whereas Yajima had been a member of Fairy Tail, a prominent Fioran wizard guild, for twenty nine years before starting a career in politics and eventually joining the Magic Council. It'd be unfathomably foolish of Siegrain to disregard Yajima's perspective on this topic. Perhaps he'd failed to consider just how emotional wizard guilds could get.

"The overwhelming majority of magicians in Council lands already dedicate their abilities toward violent pursuits through the guild system. I merely explored the possibility of putting them to better use than working for anyone that offers payment." Siegrain gave a slight bow in Yajima's direction. "However, I will defer to your expertise on the matter and adjust those clauses." Yajima nodded, acknowledging the concession. Siegrain looked toward the other Councilors, who seemed eager to speak as well. "What else would you like to discuss with me?"

And thus, the floor was open for each of them to voice their concerns. Between responding to their questions and presenting his arguments, Siegrain had to tap into his strategic reserve of patience to stay composed. Dealing with the Council had always been the worst part of his role as a Wizard Saint, especially since he'd been chosen by his peers to represent them here. It hadn't taken long for him to realize that they'd foisted the task onto the newcomer. He knew that his predecessor had retired due to feeling too old, but Siegrain was starting to suspect that the real reason had been to escape this tedium.

Org, the Councilor from the Kingdom of Seven, who had been very quiet throughout the session, broke through the discussion. "I still maintain that this approach is flawed. We've discovered no signs that Alvareth intends to break the treaty. Their military assets are demobilizing; even the Twelve have returned to their usual assignments. Their embassy has been cooperative and proactive in restoring positive relations between the Empire and the Council. While I do not believe that Alvareth is genuine about their desire for peace, we have to consider appearances. If we establish such blatant initiatives, we'll be providing the Empire with reasons to distrust us as well as justifications to topple the Council and bring Ishgar under their rule. Among the wizards, there is an appreciable portion that wouldn't be opposed to being ruled by Alvareth if it allowed them to make use of magic without our restrictions."

Siegrain sighed, out of both a dramatic flair and genuine exasperation, as he realized what was going on. Org Anholts was sixty-something years old and, for nearly three decades, he'd served as the Kingdom of Seven's representative on the Magic Council. He was competent and unwavering as far as the law went, but he was still somewhat set in his ways and prone to resisting changes to the status quo. And yet, despite being the most vocal opponent of Siegrain's initiative, Org was also one of the few Councilors that Siegrain genuinely liked. "We cannot rely on deterrence to prevent Alvareth's conquest. The Empire might eventually create countermeasures or the Emperor may decide to call your bluff and accept the consequences to his forces." Siegrain looked directly, but not unkindly, at Org as he talked. "Are you willing to take that chance, gambling with the lives of those the Council are charged to lead?"

"Siegrain is right." Belno, the Councilor from Bellum, spoke up. "Deterrence is a delaying tactic. If the Emperor desires war, there is nothing stopping him from overwhelming our tactical advantages with sheer numbers. However, the Council does not have the resources to engage in extended conflict against the Empire. Bellum's forces cannot stand against Alvareth's armies alone and the militaries of the other Council nations lack the numbers or the capabilities to alter the situation to our favor. Even if we had the soldiers, our societies are divided while Alvareth has united the might of an entire continent. We cannot replenish losses as easily and their wizards are more powerful than our own, especially when comparing the elites. Considered as a group, the Twelve are more powerful than the Ten Wizard Saints. Individually, it's possible that some of the Twelve can be neutralized, but if their reputations are true, they're all extremely dangerous. Most of them qualify as dark wizards, if not criminals, under our laws." She regarded Org sympathetically. "I understand your worries, but we cannot allow Alvareth to decide the course of what seems to be an unavoidable war. While I do not agree with all of Siegrain's proposals, I believe that such measures are necessary to safeguard our way of life."

Despite her reluctance to support him, Belno was the best ally Siegrain could have on this issue. Before becoming a Councilor, she'd been a colonel in Bellum's army. Had she rejected her nomination to the Council, she'd have likely gone on to reach the rank of general. She was the Council's military expert and, if she spoke on such matters, the Councilors were inclined to listen. Already, he could see that some of them appeared to be reconsidering their positions. Org seemed especially thoughtful.

Before the debate could recommence, the Chairman spoke. "I believe that we've gone on for long enough. Councilors, if Siegrain Sternberg's proposals were discussed to your satisfaction, the vote may now commence." Siegrain noticed that some Councilors seemed to be unsatisfied, but no one proved willing to oppose the decision. Crawford Seam did not appreciate time-wasting or feet-dragging, whether it came from those appearing before the Council or his peers. Without any new arguments, there was no ground for them to postpone the vote any further without earning Crawford's disapproval and no one wanted to get on the Chairman of the Magic Council's bad side without a damn good reason.

It was very close, but they ultimately chose to establish the committee. A second vote allowed Siegrain to join the group that decided which of his proposals would be carried out, altered or rejected. With the matter settled, most of the Councilors ended their thought projections and departed, but Siegrain stayed behind to speak with Yajima, following him as he exited the chamber.

"What's the agenda?" Siegrain asked when they were seated in Yajima's office. "It wasn't easy to compile the information in my plans, but I completed my assignment. I'll admit that I didn't consider the emotional repercussions of certain measures, but nothing I submitted was radical enough to deserve a session dedicated to picking it all apart. Was this all another effort to rein in my so-called ambition?"

Yajima shrugged, lifting his hands. "Your guess is as good as mine for now, Siegrain. It's certainly a possibility. There are a few Councilors that think you're a nuisance. Fortunately, your competence has left no basis for your removal. Not to mention, your high public standing makes you tough to ignore."

Siegrain snorted. "I wouldn't call what's going on 'high public standing'. Did you know I've been showing up on some magazine's 'hottest wizards alive' list?" He chuckled. "They're getting desperate. Maybe I should give in and have an interview to calm them down."

Yajima grinned at him. "I'm sure that they'd love that. Their sales would probably skyrocket. But I doubt that would help you much. That'd probably just make it harder for you to be taken seriously. You've already got an uphill battle, being the youngest Wizard Saint in history, after all."

Siegrain frowned. "I'd rather have people consider me for my actions than obsess over my looks, but I suppose it couldn't be that easy, could it?" He sighed as he stood up. "I'm done for today. You need anything else from me before I go?"

Yajima shook his head. "Not really. I'll warn my old team while you prepare the Wizard Saints. We'll all have to be ready for what's coming. Even if the committee waters down your work, we won't be helpless against Alvareth."

Siegrain nodded and, after bidding Yajima farewell, he ended the thought projection, restoring full awareness to his body inside his room within the Sternberg family manor. Yawning, Siegrain rose from the chair he had been sitting in for over two hours and stretched, trying to bring his limbs back to full functionality. He looked at the Lacrima, softly glowing on the desk before him, and placed his hand on it, feeling the warmth and power that coursed through the crystal. Thought Projection was an amazingly convenient magic; it essentially let users be in two places at once and, though it only produced intangible holograms and needed the aid of a Lacrima like the one before him to function over great distances, Thought Projection had affected society across the whole planet, all the way back to its origins in history long lost. If only the magic wasn't also a singularly uncomfortable and taxing method of communication, it would have enjoyed much more widespread use.

There was a knocking at the door and Siegrain instinctively tensed into readiness, only to relax as the person on the other side spoke. "Mr. Sternberg? May I come in?" his assistant said. Her voice was still laced with meekness. Just another part of her deception, but it was convincing. Even now, he nearly believed it.

"Yes, Mari. Please enter." he replied. The door opened and the woman known to the world as Mari Utyosova sauntered into the room. She'd changed out of the modest white attire she'd worn earlier into a long dress, sporting a striped pattern and revealing her voluptuous, pale-skinned figure. Her dark purple hair, previously arranged to make her seem demure and submissive, now accentuated her beauty. The timidity she'd displayed in the Council chamber was gone, replaced by a casual confidence that was evident in both her body language and her expression. As she closed the door, Siegrain kept from ogling. Asides from the indecency of it, he was fairly certain that one of her objectives had been to seduce him. He'd managed to keep the balance of power steady between them and he wasn't about to give that up.

"So? How did the meeting go?" she asked, walking toward him. As she approached, Siegrain smelled her perfume, a vaguely familiar flowery scent. He wasn't sure where he'd encountered it before, but, whatever it was, the aroma was pleasing. He had to make a conscious effort to keep his mind on track.

Siegrain half-suppressed a laugh. "Honestly, about as well as we could have expected. I was allowed to join the committee, but there's a decent chance that my work will amount to nothing. I don't expect most of my proposals to make it through intact." He raised an eyebrow as she sat on his desk, facing him directly, but said nothing about it. It'd only be an acknowledgement that she'd annoyed him. She already accomplished that far too often for his liking. "What did your master have to say?"

"Oh?" She smiled at Siegrain as if he was a child saying something foolish. His right eye twitched. "And why do you think I've contacted him? It's only been a few hours. I don't mind keeping people waiting." She crossed her legs and brought a hand up to her chest, over her heart. "After all, I am _very_ patient."

Siegrain rolled his eyes. "Oh please, _Ultear_." The smile left her face, replaced by a bad-tempered scowl. "Ever since I confronted you about your spying, you've kept regular contact. Now that you don't have to conceal it from me, he expects frequent communication." She hid it well, but he could still see that he'd disquieted her with his use of her true name and his disregard of her espionage. Siegrain knew why; when he'd discovered her secret, he could have arranged her capture or death, either via the Council's authority or using his personal resources. But, rather than exposing her, Siegrain had approached her for the truth. That moment had been engraved in his memory due to finally seeing the woman genuinely stunned, perhaps the first legitimate emotion she'd expressed around him. He suspected that, at first, she'd thought him gullible enough to fool indefinitely. After she had revealed her true name as well as who she was working for, he had offered a mutually beneficial relationship between her organization and himself. Once the details of their association had been negotiated, she'd started abandoning the self-effacing act whenever the two of them were alone. He was sure that Ultear's new behavior wasn't her true personality, but Siegrain felt certain that, as time went on, he'd see more of who she really was. He wasn't sure why, but that notion both excited and worried him.

By the time he'd returned to the situation at hand, she'd recovered, a smirk on her lips. "He said to express his gratitude to you for finally arranging our access to your Council sessions. They're sure to prove useful." Siegrain nodded, but inwardly, he was still annoyed that they'd forced him to give in on that matter. He looked at the projection Lacrima, which radiated with blue light at its core, on his desk. He'd had to find an opportune moment to meddle with it in such a way that did not attract suspicion from the Council. Ultimately, he'd set up the situation so that a routine, if ill-timed, maintenance had enabled him to surreptitiously connect Ultear's organization into the Council's Lacrima network.

The Lacrima issue had been another reminder of how working with these people was a delicate matter; he had to balance pursuing his interests with fulfilling their demands. There was no doubt to either side that he was the more vulnerable between the two of them. However, when Siegrain considered the risk they'd undertaken in sending a skilled agent to infiltrate the Council as well as trusting a Wizard Saint, he'd come to the conclusion that they were the more _desperate_ of the two. Whatever truly drove them, it was serious enough for them to rely on Siegrain Sternberg, a treacherous manipulator.

He was shaken from his thoughts when Ultear gently cleared her throat; it seemed that she wasn't done. All levity was gone from her expression as she looked at him. "He also reminded me that, if you start showing signs of reneging on our deal or becoming less valuable, I have to be prepared to neutralize you, either directly or by revealing what you've done."

Damn it. She'd turned the tables on him and now it was Siegrain's turn to cover up his unease. He wasn't terribly worried about being exposed; even if there was evidence, being a Wizard Saint was merely a means to an end, one he could still achieve if he were judged a criminal. No, his concern was that of her potential to kill him. He knew that she was more than she appeared to be, but he was still uninformed as to her magical prowess. Siegrain had no way of knowing how legitimate that threat was. He must have failed to hide his apprehension because Ultear's expression shifted to show traces of compassion.

"Oh, Siegrain, sweetheart," she pushed off the desk and moved in close to him, "you ought to have more faith in me." He allowed her to embrace him, bringing her body against his own. He now felt her every curve in exquisite detail, but she didn't stop with that. She placed her head over his shoulder, her breath warming his ear, and spoke in a soft whisper. "I'm playing these little games with everyone. At the end of the day, I'm in this for my own reasons. My master knows that; he accepts it. You should try doing the same. That way, it'll be a lot more bearable for both of us." She pulled out of the hug and walked past him. His eyes followed her as she returned to the door, placing her hand on the knob before turning to look at him. "By the way, dinner will be ready soon. Remember to come and eat something," she paused before adding, with a wink, "sir." She left the room, leaving Siegrain alone to recover from her words and touch as well as consider their implications.


	2. Chapter 1: Lucy

**Chapter One: Lucy**

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 **Lucy, Erigeron Town, July 4, 784**

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"Young lady!" said the street vendor, pointing at the fleeing figure. "They took your purse!" The man looked around frantically, his odd hat wobbling precariously on his head, but the area was all but devoid of people. "We need to find a police officer."

The woman smiled. "Thank you, sir, but there's no need," she said, reaching into a pouch on her belt and withdrawing an oddly-shaped, golden key. "I can handle this myself." She tossed the key into the air, only to catch it and, with a flourish, turn it as though she'd unlocked something. In that moment, light burst from the key's tip and took the form of a circle, containing indecipherable symbols that surrounded what looked like the claws of a crab in the center. "Open, Gate of the Giant Crab, Cancer!," she called and the circle expanded into a brilliant starburst pattern that faded to reveal a bizarre creature.

It was humanoid and dressed in a way reminiscent of a hairdresser, a pair of scissors in each of its hands completing the image, but the six crab legs protruding from its back made it hard to mistake for human. The vendor stumbled back in shock, mouth agape, but the woman seemed perfectly at ease.

"Hey, Lucy," the creature's voice was cool and unmistakably male, "what's going on, baby?" He snipped his scissors idly as he turned to her. "You can't need another haircut already." He looked at the vendor, who took another step away from him, and raised a well-trimmed brow at the sight of the man's hair. "Is he the one I'm handling today?"

"Sorry Cancer," Lucy replied, looking mildly apologetic, "but this time it's not about hair." She pointed in the direction that the figure had been heading toward. "A thief just ran off with something of mine. Could you chase them down for me?"

Cancer adjusted his sunglasses, frowning. "Is that so?" He holstered his scissors and began walking in the indicated direction. "Leave it to me, baby." He broke into a run, quickly vanishing from sight.

The vendor stared after Cancer. "Uh, young lady?" he asked, his voice nervous and low.

"Yes?" Lucy's smile held a mixture of affection and embarrassment at the creature's behavior.

"Was that…" the vendor hesitated.

"…a humanoid crab thing?" she completed. The vendor nodded. "Yes, it was." Lucy took a deep breath. "If you'll excuse me, I should go after him. Cancer can be… single-minded about these matters."

Lucy began to head in the same direction as Cancer, leaving the vendor staring after her. As she walked, she saw that she'd entered a livelier part of the town. People walked the streets, going about their days. The sun shone brightly overhead, the wind carried the scent of the sea and she could hear the horns of ships blaring in the distance. If it hadn't been for her mission, she'd have loved to spend some time wandering Erigeron, taking in the sights. Unfortunately, she wasn't here for tourism.

She knew she was on the right path when she saw the young man, lying face-down on the floor and muttering about a giant crab thing. Cancer had probably knocked him over in his haste without noticing; it wouldn't be the first time he'd done something like that. "Sorry about him. Are you OK, sir?" she said, offering the man a hand to help him up. A small cat, blue fur with a white stomach, sat next to the man, staring up at her with big black eyes. It looked a bit… eccentric, but Lucy supposed it was just the man's style. She'd seen owners dress their pets up in weirder things than a little green backpack, anyway.

"Huh?" he looked up and noticed her hand. Seizing it firmly, he pulled himself upright with her help, giving Lucy the chance to get a good look at him. He had slightly tan skin, black eyes and spiky, pink hair. The black waistcoat he had on was left open, exposing his bare chest. Lucy stared at his lean muscles for a little longer than necessary before returning her attention to the man. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said, dusting himself off and turning his gaze down the street. "I just got surprised by… whatever that was." He looked down at the cat. "Happy, you saw it too, right?"

"Aye!" the cat replied, much to her surprise. "It looked like a giant crab with sunglasses and scissors." Happy had stood up and started salivating. "Natsu, do you think we'll get to eat it if we catch it!?"

"No, you don't," Lucy answered, frowning. "He's a sentient being, just like you." She knelt down next to the cat. "You're an Exceed, aren't you?"

"How'd you guess?" the cat replied, with an impudent grin. "Was it the talking or the standing upright?" Lucy restrained the urge to respond. She wasn't about to play the cat's games.

"Well, I'm glad you're alright," Lucy said, rising and turning to address Natsu. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go after that crab. Have a good day, you two." As Lucy began walking away from them, Happy waved goodbye while Natsu smiled, showing abnormally large canines. Even after she'd turned a street corner and lost sight of them, Lucy's thoughts lingered on the man and his cat. They were an interesting pair.

It only took a few minutes to find Cancer. He'd cornered the thief in an alley, standing before her, body tensed to react against any sudden movements. The girl's eyes flitted anxiously, searching for a way out, but there was only a dead-end to her back and a fast, annoyed humanoid crab thing blocking her front. When she saw Lucy approaching, the girl took on an innocent and frightened expression.

"Hey, miss," the girl called to her. "Can you do something about this weirdo? He won't leave me alone."

Cancer chuckled. "Nice try, baby. I'm with her," he said, nudging his head in Lucy's direction. "You took something of hers and we want it back."

The girl dropped the act, but there was still a nervous fear in her eyes. She pulled a familiar purse out of her pocket and held it out. "I'm sorry for stealing from you, miss," the girl said, avoiding eye contact with Lucy or Cancer. "Please, don't take me to the police. I promise not to do it again."

Lucy walked past Cancer to take the purse, along with a good look at the girl. Her clothes were faded and patched as well as a bit small for her. She was short and skinny, but her face was pleasing enough. She'd grow up to be rather pretty. Lucy idly tossed the purse into the air, only to catch it with a sigh. "Cancer, would you back up, please?" He seemed shocked, but he complied and stepped further back as Lucy moved closer to the girl, holding out a hand. "My name is Lucy Heartfilia. What's yours, dear?"

The girl stared at Lucy's hand for a moment before presenting her own and completing the handshake. "It's Lora," she answered reluctantly. Lucy quirked a brow at the lack of a surname, but she didn't address it. If Lora was unwilling to offer it, there was nothing she could do about it.

"Are you hungry, Lora?" Lucy had to hold in her laughter at Lora's stunned expression.

"What did you say?" Lora seemed to think she hadn't heard correctly.

"I asked if you were hungry. I sure am. I've traveled quite a ways. Would you care to join me for lunch?" Lucy held up her purse and shook it. "I'm buying." Lucy was still amused at the look on Lora's face, but she kept it off her own expression. After a moment's thought, Lora nodded slowly, her eyes flickering toward Cancer, whose gaze was locked on the girl's head.

"What is it?" Lora narrowed her eyes in suspicion at Cancer's stare, but he didn't look away.

"It's your hair, baby," he answered, adjusting his sunglasses. "I'm just picturing what I could do about it."

Lora reached up to touch, somewhat self-consciously, her hair. "What can you do about it?"

Cancer scoffed. "I'll have you know that this," he indicated his own black hair, braided into red cornrows and ending in a shape that resembled crab pincers, "and that" now he pointed to Lucy's shoulder-length blonde hair, tied by a blue ribbon into a small ponytail to the right side of her head with the rest loose, "were my work." He drew his scissors from holsters on his belt, twirling them around his index fingers by their handles. "Don't underestimate my skill as a hairstylist, baby."

"He really is quite good," Lucy chimed in. "If you'd like, he could do something for you, here and now."

Lora seemed to consider it. "Ok," she said, shrugging, but Lucy could tell that the girl was nervous from the way her eyes followed the spinning scissors. Cancer smiled, halted his twirling and walked close up to Lora.

"Don't worry, baby," Cancer replied, his voice restrained and relaxed. "This won't hurt." He got to work before she could change her mind. She kept flinching as the scissors snipped around her, but Cancer was utterly unimpeded. He had long since grown use to the little movements of his subjects. Thinking back to her own first session with Cancer, Lucy couldn't help but find that Lora was being more composed than she had been. Lucy felt a twinge of childish jealousy, but she immediately snuffed it out. Lora didn't deserve envy from her. In mere seconds, Cancer had finished. "That should do it."

It took a moment for Lora to open her eyes. "Huh?" Cancer offered the girl a mirror that he'd brought out of a pocket. Cautiously, she accepted it, turning it over and gasping as she saw what he had done. Her long hair, formerly pulled away from her face by a string, had been cut into a lovely chin-length bob.

Lucy nodded in approval. "Nicely done, Cancer," she said, looking down at the strands of hair strewn over the alley floor. The girl was still looking over her new haircut, but Cancer shrugged with a frown.

"Eh, not my best work, baby," he admitted. "If she hadn't been moving, might have been a bit better."

Lucy couldn't help but shake her head fondly at his attitude. Cancer would probably never accept that what he referred to "not my best" was better than most human hairstylists could handle.

"OK," Lucy said, clapping her hands together, and gave him a slight bow. "Cancer, thanks for everything. That'll be all for now."

Lora looked away from the mirror. "I love it! Thank you, Mr. Cancer, sir!" she said, a smile on her face for the first time since they'd met. The sight lifted Lucy's spirits.

Cancer chuckled. "You're welcome, Lora," he said, smiling back at the girl. He holstered his scissors and bowed to Lucy, though his gesture was much lower than hers had been. "Lucy, baby, it's no problem. You can ring me up pretty much whenever you need me." He turned to Lora, who looked up at him. Cancer tilted his sunglasses to reveal the bright blue eyes of a human and winked at the girl. "Take care, baby. Don't let me catch you getting in trouble again." With that, Cancer's body was shrouded by light, which quickly faded to reveal that he was gone, much to Lora's surprise.

"Where did he go?" Lora asked, her gaze darting around the alley, as though she'd find him hiding.

"Cancer's a Celestial Spirit," Lucy said, causing Lora to turn back to her. "He's gone back to his world." Seeing that Lora was still confused, Lucy shook her head. "It's a bit of a long story. Come," she began walking out of the alley. "I'll explain it over lunch." After one more glance at where Cancer had vanished, Lora followed after her.

As they walked the streets of Erigeron searching for a place to eat, Lucy got to know a bit about Lora. The girl said that her family barely got by with her father's wages as a fisherman and she'd decided to try stealing to ease their money problems. Lucy had been chosen as Lora's latest target because she was well-dressed, alone and, since the girl had first spotted her at the train station, a foreigner. Lucy was slightly impressed at how much thought the girl had put into her thievery, but she kept quiet, figuring that it was a bad idea to compliment Lora for being a skilled criminal.

After a brief search, they arrived at their destination, a restaurant that had been recommended to Lucy by a fellow train passenger. It was a small, family-owned establishment that had been around for years, with a reputation for good food at affordable prices. Lora recognized it and mentioned that it was one of the places that her father's catches eventually ended up in. As she held the door open for Lora to enter, mouth-watering scents wafted out at Lucy, along with the indistinguishable chatting of the patrons.

A smiling young waitress quickly greeted them, found them a table and left them with menus before heading off to attend other customers. It didn't take long for Lucy to choose to go with cacciucco, a stew consisting of several different types of fish and shellfish (traditionally five, one for each c in the name) that was heavily associated with Erigeron. Lora had pointed out that a similar concoction was a tradition in her household, except that they tended to use whatever her father had been unable to sell that day. Other than mentioning that tidbit, she was quiet, apparently thinking something over. After a minute, she picked fettuccine pasta with cheese and butter. Lucy didn't fail to notice that it was a cheaper dish than hers; Lora had probably been considering whether or not to take advantage of Lucy's generosity. She was glad that the girl had made the right choice, but made no comment on it.

Within minutes, the waitress had returned to take their orders. Once she'd departed again, Lora looked at Lucy expectantly. "Well, you said you'd explain it," she said, sitting up straight and leaning in close. "So, where did Mr. Cancer go? What's a Celestial Spirit? Who are you? Why'd you come to Erigeron?" she asked questions rapidly, all with the same breath. Lucy was amused at her eager curiosity, but just as she was about to start answering, she noticed that a scene was taking place at the entrance. The duo that she'd encountered earlier today was standing there and, though they were too far for her to hear, they seemed to be discussing what they could afford with their limited money. Natsu seemed especially dejected, his face set in an expression that was both humorous and pitiable. Lucy took a mental stock of her remaining funds, found they were still plentiful and decided to keep her charity streak going.

"Hello there, you two," she waved at the pair until they noticed her, "come join us!" They were clearly confused, but, after sharing a look and shrug, they came over and sat down in the available chairs.

"Oh, hey there, Crab Lady!" Her face fell. "Uh…" Natsu scratched his head, grinning sheepishly. "Sorry, but I don't actually know your name."

"Lucy Heartfilia," she supplied, letting it slide. "It's good to see you again. I saw that you were having money troubles and figured I had a chance to repay you for not being mad about getting knocked over."

"Oh yeah," Happy chimed in eagerly, "the crab guy! Did you catch him?"

"Uh, he was actually with me," Lucy admitted, showing her own sheepish smile.

"He was?" Natsu tilted his head to the side. "But where'd he go?"

"That's what she was about to tell me before you showed up," Lora muttered almost imperceptibly, drawing the attention of the newcomers. After a round of introductions and a quick perusal of the menu on part of Natsu and Happy, the three before Lucy were eagerly waiting for answers, so she decided to start with the basics.

"Alright, have any of you ever heard of Celestial Spirits?" Lucy began.

Natsu and Lora shook their heads, but Happy nodded. "Aye, I have! Celestial Spirits are beings from another world that human magicians can contract to summon for various services, right?"

"Yes," Lucy confirmed, surprised at the cat's knowledge. "They're also known as the Stellar Spirits because they're based off constellations from the Starlands. In fact, that's where the Spirits come from," Lucy thought back to the lessons of her magic tutor and began summarizing the history for her audience, who was unlikely to care much for the distant past. "Long ago, the Celestial Spirits were created as a tool for the exclusive use of the elite in Starlands society. However, after a destructive civil war, motivated in part by this selfish use of magic, the Celestial Spirits negotiated with the Magic Council for new terms and used spatial magic to create their own world," she looked at Lora, whose face showed the dawn of understanding. "Mr. Cancer disappeared to go back home; Celestial Spirits can't survive in our world for too long under their own power. That's one of the many reasons they still serve humanity. These days, any human can make a contract with them, so long as you fit the requirements."

Lucy held up one finger. "First, you need the right material focus," she reached into her key pouch with her other hand and brought out two keys of different colors for the trio to see. "Keys, made of either silver or gold, forged into particular shapes. Which metal you use depends on which Spirits you're trying to contract; gold is for the Zodiac, twelve particularly powerful Spirits, while silver is used for all the rest. The Celestial Spirit King, ruler and mightiest of the Celestial Spirits, has no key and can't be contracted." Lucy placed the keys back in the pouch. "Since both metals are very valuable, contracting the Celestial Spirits is quite the investment. The cost is actually the biggest reason this is such an uncommon magic."

The waitress returned to drop off the girls' drinks – iced tea for Lucy and lemonade for Lora – and left after taking the boys' orders: an assortment of fish for Happy and a variety of cheap meals for Natsu.

Lucy held up another finger. "Next, you need an advanced understanding of astronomy."

Lora interrupted with a question. "What's astronomy?"

As Lucy was about to answer, Natsu spoke. "Oh! I know that one. That's the study of space stuff, right?" His expression held such earnest eagerness that she couldn't go through with correcting him.

"Yep," Lucy nodded, which brought a smile to Natsu's face that warmed Lucy's heart, "that's basically astronomy: stars, planets and other space stuff. If I were to describe the ritual that turns an ordinary key into a summoning focus, it might sound straight-forward, but it actually calls for a deep comprehension of this science from the magician. Since I chose this magic, one of my first tests was learning enough to make my first contract; it took most of a month before I was confident in my astrometry – that's still astronomy, but it's about precise measurements – to try and summon a Spirit." Of course, part of why she'd struggled for so long was because that had been a turbulent time in her life, but she wasn't going to talk about _that_ to three strangers, regardless of how friendly they were. "That was about seven years ago and I still haven't managed to make contracts with the entire Zodiac."

"How many contracts do you have, Lucy?" Happy asked, his tone lacking any impertinence for once.

"I've got eight, four of each metal, but there are eighty-eight Celestial Spirits in existence, so that's only an eleventh. Gathering them all can take decades; in known history, only a few dozen have pulled it off."

"Alright, so it takes special metals and knowhow," Lora said, nodding. "What's the third requirement?"

Lucy held up a third finger. "It's commitment." Upon seeing their perplexed expressions, she elaborated.

"When the Spirits were tools, they could be used for all sorts of malicious or unscrupulous purposes. After that civil war in the Starlands, accounts surfaced about the various atrocities committed by them at the command of their masters. The negotiations between the Spirits and the Council involved special focus on exactly what the Spirits could or could not do as part of their contracts. Once they passed into the service of all humanity, non-negotiable rules were set up. Illegal tasks were completely off the table; to give one example, Celestial Spirits aren't allowed to kill sentient creatures and, if they did so without a reason that satisfies the Celestial Court, then a Spirit can be executed or their mage's contracts ended. The Spirits can also choose to disobey orders that they consider immoral. If I tried to force Cancer to do something he views to be wrong, like intentionally give someone a bad haircut, then he gets to refuse."

Lora seemed to understand, but Natsu and Happy only looked more bewildered.

"Sorry," Natsu raised a hand, "what was that about haircuts?"

"Cancer's my hairstylist," The confusion didn't leave their faces. "See, it's a bit complicated to explain, but, essentially, when I made a contract with the Gate of the Giant Crab, a version of the Spirit of Cancer was created, based on my personality." Lucy hesitated to say more, but chose to come clean with them. "I admit that I can be _slightly_ vain about my appearance. Cancer's skill and identity as a hairdresser were influenced by that." She lowered the three raised fingers.

"Wait, a version of Cancer?" Lora looked skeptical. "What does that even mean?"

"It means that the Cancer you met is an individual, distinct from other Cancers you may one day meet." Lucy sighed. "Now, this part is tricky to discuss because we're approaching the ethics and philosophy of concepts that still haven't been agreed upon by scholars. But, here's the truth about Celestial Spirits."

She brought out Cancer's key and watched it glitter in the light. "Multiple versions of the same Spirit do exist. Those contracted to me aren't the same as those contracted to others. This is due to the exact mechanics behind this magic system: humans use special keys to make contracts with a Celestial Gate, poorly understood artifacts created long ago, which then manifest the Spirit particular to that Gate to obey the contract." Lucy stored the key and looked at the trio, noticing something that none of them could see because they'd focus on her.

"You probably still have questions, but we could easily spend hours talking about this and," Lucy jerked her head and the trio turned to see that the waitress was returning with their meals, "lunch has arrived. So, let's leave it there, OK?" The three of them nodded, though Lora seemed unsatisfied, and they all settled in to eat as plates were set down on their table.

Of Lucy's three companions, Lora was the most well-mannered. She was holding her utensils incorrectly, but at least she avoided making a mess. The same could not be said of Natsu and Happy; they ate like starving men, scarfing down food almost as quickly as they could get it into their mouths. Other patrons had started staring and the waitress's smile turned slightly nervous. Lora looked at Lucy, but kept quiet. Lucy calmly put up with the pair's antics until a bit of food splashed across the table and onto her face. The expression she adopted was enough for the two of them to freeze, forks held midair. Lucy reached for a napkin, wiped the food off her face, placed her hands on her lap and raised an eyebrow, expression still set in displeasure.

Their behavior improved after that. The rest of the lunch progressed smoothly and without incident.

Once they were all finished and waiting for the waitress to return with the check, Happy looked at Lucy. "So, to summon the Celestial Spirits, a human needs to have the money for precious metals, the brains for advanced astronomy, _and_ they have to follow a lot of rules?" He smiled at her. "I can't imagine why this magic isn't more common."

Lucy resisted the urge to swat the cheeky little cat off the table. "Yes, it's not a very easy, convenient or accessible magic system, but there _are_ benefits. While the Celestial Spirits do lack freedom of action, they make up for it by being diverse in abilities, both magical and mundane. As you all saw, Cancer is extremely fast and Lora can attest to his dexterity with the scissors."

Lora was surprised by the boys' sudden attention on her, but she nodded enthusiastically. "He did this," the girl gestured to her hair, "in just a few seconds. And I was moving around, too!"

Lucy waggled her eyebrows at Happy, who still seemed unimpressed. "The Spirits can also teach humans certain magic and skills to help compensate for when they aren't available. Thanks to Cancer's training, I've gotten more physically graceful." She picked up an unused knife and twirled it between her fingers. "He insisted that I train in some weapon skill, so I went with throwing this." She smiled back at the cat and spoke far too cheerfully. "You wanna see how good my aim is!?" He shook his head frantically and she put the knife down.

Lucy clapped her palms together and pointed her fingers at Happy. "There's one other big reason people still make contracts with the Celestial Spirits." She smiled affectionately. "They can be excellent friends. Since they come into being based off the mage's personality, they can be really quirky, but they're also fiercely loyal. It takes a lot for a Celestial Spirit to ever turn against their contract holder."

The waitress returned with the check, thanked them for their patronage and went off. Lucy did the math and found that, with all their meals, the final cost was a bit steeper than she'd first calculated. She could afford it, of course, but it was still a surprise. She brought out her purse, extracted the right amount and, once she'd placed it on the table, looked up to find Natsu, staring at her with an odd expression.

"Is that why you chose to contract your Spirits?" he asked quietly. "Did you want friends?"

The mood suddenly shifted. Happy looked at Natsu with uncertainty and Lora seemed as uncomfortable as Lucy felt. Her cheeks quickly reddened in embarrassment and she could not look directly at Natsu. She answered as softly as he'd spoken. "Yes, that was a factor in my decision." His face didn't change, so she gathered her courage and glared at him. "Do you have a problem with that?"

Natsu shook his head. "Not at all; I'm sorry if I offended you. That wasn't my intention." He stood up, Happy following suit, and nodded at Lucy. "Thank you for lunch. You're a nice person, Lucy Heartfilia." He set a few bills and coins on the table. "That's the tip, fifteen percent. Figured I should pitch in, right?"

Natsu began walking away from their table. "Have a good day, ladies." After a last glance back at them, Happy went after his friend, leaving the girls alone. Lucy watched the duo head out the door and took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She smiled to reassure Lora, but she was fairly certain that it wasn't fooling the girl.

"Do you want to go?" Lucy asked. Lora nodded and, without another word, they too left the restaurant. The sun was well past its zenith; once night fell, Lucy's business in the town would have to be attended. She offered to accompany Lora for the walk home and, after following the girl through the streets and into a more dilapidated section of Erigeron, they were standing outside a ramshackle building.

"Um," Lora swung her arms back and forth as she looked at the ground. "Thank you, Ms. Lucy, for not taking me to the police and for the lunch. And, could you thank Mr. Cancer again for the haircut?"

Lucy smiled at Lora. In just a few hours, the girl had gone from her purse-snatcher to a new friend. They'd probably never meet again, but Lucy had no doubts that she'd remember the girl. "I will, dear. Try not to get in trouble, OK? The next person you rob might not be as tolerant as I was."

Lora nodded and, after a moment of visible hesitation, came in for a hug that Lucy quickly reciprocated. "Natsu was right," she said, her voice muffled through the fabric of Lucy's skirt. "You're a nice lady." Lora pulled out of the hug. "Look," she held her hands open before Lucy, "they're empty, just in case you were wondering."

Lucy shook her head. "I trust you." Lora rolled her eyes, but the smile stayed on her face. She walked up to the door of the building, put her hand on the doorknob, paused and looked back at Lucy.

"Lucy?" Lora's expression held concern and worry. "You never said why you came to Erigeron."

As impressed as she was that Lora had remembered that, Lucy still sighed. "No, I didn't," she admitted. "That's a bit of a long story too. You'll probably hear about it tomorrow. It'll be big news, I expect."'

"Is it dangerous?" For a brief moment, she considered lying. But Lora didn't deserve that. Lucy nodded. "Be careful, OK?" Lora turned the doorknob, stepped into the building and, with a last look back at Lucy, shut the door.

All of a sudden, Lucy felt so very alone in an unfamiliar place. She shivered as a cold wind swept by.

Lucy looked up at the sky. The sun had set, but the stars were out, twinkling like diamonds. She could see patterns up there, memorized after many hours of study; the constellations that fueled what might be her closest friends in this world. She reached down to her key pouch and felt them all there.

And suddenly, she didn't feel so alone anymore. Her determination renewed, Lucy Heartfilia walked through the dark streets of Erigeron, heading toward an uncertain fate that she'd chosen for herself.


	3. Chapter 2: Natsu

**Chapter Two: Natsu**

* * *

 **Natsu, Erigeron Town, July 4, 784**

* * *

The water was hot enough to scald ordinary people, but not him. He couldn't remember the last time heat had bothered him. As he soaked in the steaming bath, feeling his body relax in the warmth, Natsu's idle thoughts turned back to the woman he'd met earlier today.

"Lucy Heartfilia," he spoke, trying out her name and deciding that it felt nice to say. "You're a weird girl."

It wasn't every day that he met someone like her; a young woman, with enough money and charity to buy lunch for strangers, and probably an independent mage to boot. He hadn't seen a guild mark on her and Lucy hadn't identified herself as a professional. Natsu had heard of those star spirits before, but, since he'd never met anyone who actually used them, he'd known almost nothing about them. Happy must have learned about them from all the reading he did. He'd have to ask his partner about that.

Deciding that he'd bathed long enough, Natsu got to his feet, removed the plug from the drain and stepped out of the tub. Water dripped onto the wooden floor as he looked himself over in the mirror. His wounds from the last job had healed nicely; the bruises were barely visible anymore. He'd been a bit worried about the damage to his guild mark, but the magic laced into it had held; it was as it should be, bright red and just below his left shoulder. At least, there wouldn't be any additions to his little collection of scars. He did not need another of those. His fingers came up to trace the one on the right side of his neck, the only one that had nearly cost him his life. As he started to reminisce about that day, he shook himself. No need to dredge that up now.

Natsu looked down and saw the puddle. Had it been his own home, he wouldn't have cared, but he was staying at an inn for traveling mages and he'd been taught not to mess up other people's lodgings. Briefly, he considered using his magic on the floor, but he had to admit that it'd be uselessly destructive. He picked up a towel, hurriedly dried his own body and tossed it over the puddle.

For a moment, he thought of what Igneel would do if he ever learned that Natsu had even considered using their power to clean; after a good laugh, there'd probably be a long speech. Still, as reproachful as many of those had been, Natsu remembered them. There had always been some wisdom to be gleaned from what his father said.

Natsu left the bathroom to find that Happy was nowhere to be seen. Their quarters were fairly simple, just two adjacent rooms with only the one bed, so it wasn't like the Exceed was hiding to try and surprise him. He felt a gentle breeze that should have been cold and noticed that the window was open. Happy must have decided to go out at night by himself, for some reason. Natsu wasn't too worried, but he was surprised that Happy had left without him.

Chalking it up to Happy's insatiable curiosity, Natsu began to get dressed for bed when he smelled something really strange; his partner's scent was approaching rapidly, but it was tinged with sweat and fear. He turned around to see Happy fly through the window at high-speed, his wings folded against his body. With no room to slow down, the only reason he didn't slam into the wall was that Natsu managed to catch him, though the act almost knocked him off his feet.

"Happy!" Natsu had heard his partner's tiny heart beating quickly and now he could feel the sweat on the Exceed's paws. "Come on, talk to me, what's going on!?"

"Natsu," Happy said, doing his best to catch his breath, "Lucy's in trouble! We gotta help her!"

"What?" Natsu grabbed his scale-patterned scarf, wrapping it around his neck as he spoke. "Then let's go help her!"

Without another word, a bare-chested Natsu ran to the window, jumping out and falling four stories before landing in the street. Passerby were staring at him, but he paid them no mind.

"Where is she?" he asked Happy, who was still in his arms.

"The port," the Exceed said, squirming out of his grasp and taking to the air again. "Let me take you. There's a fight going on; you gotta be there as soon as possible."

He nodded and Happy dug his claws in Natsu's shoulders. It was mildly painful, but far from unbearable. In short order, Natsu's feet left the ground and they were off, ascending rapidly until they were above Erigeron. Up here, the night air was enough to actually make Natsu's upper body, almost entirely unclothed, feel cold. The scarf was at least keeping his neck warm. The stars overhead were shining and the town below was well-lit, but he couldn't see signs of something wrong. It was a good thing that Happy knew where to go. Once this was handled, Natsu would have to ask him about how he'd known that Lucy was in trouble.

Happy flew through the sky, descending once they were over the port of Erigeron. A few ships were still out on the water, but Natsu noticed that they were approaching one docked cargo vessel in particular. As they passed it, his nose was hit by a mixture of scents, none of them pleasant. Happy hovered close to an adjacent warehouse and, at this point, Natsu's senses perceived what was happening. He smelled the blood and sweat of no less than four dozen people. He saw light flickering out the windows, along with bodies that had been tossed clean through the warehouse walls. He heard various sounds, but none of the voices were Lucy's.

"Let me go, Happy," he said, as they neared the warehouse door. "We can't go in from above, we might hit Lucy." His partner nodded, letting Natsu fall out of the air, though not from a height that would've hurt him. As Natsu grasped the heavy metal door and began tearing it off, he heard the noises inside suddenly stop. When the door gave up and crumpled in his hands, he tossed it aside and entered, getting a good look at what was going on.

There were a lot of unconscious people; most of the men were on the floor, bleeding from countless tiny cuts or visibly bruised, while most of the women were restrained in cages. The scent of fear was coming from those conscious, but he saw a few figures of note: an unfamiliar female, clad in ornate clothing and an odd symbol, too small to be a guild mark, tattooed on her face; Cancer, scissors drawn and stained red; a huge bull guy, dressed like an ancient gladiator with a massive axe on his back; and Lucy, who had two golden keys in hand and was apparently unharmed.

"What," she said, looking stunned at their arrival, "Natsu and Happy? What are you doing here?"

"We came to help you," Natsu replied, as though that were obvious. "Anyway, what's going on?"

As Lucy began to speak, the other woman moved her right arm in an arch, bringing forth a magical seal, from which a number of curved purple beams were fired toward Natsu. He dodged the first blast to close the distance, but the rest kept tracking him, forcing him to keep moving. As he did so, the woman snapped the fingers of one hand, producing a spiral of light on the ground around her. The bull guy and Cancer tried to close in, but they stopped to protect Lucy from the assault of the last few men standing.

"Sorry to say goodbye," the woman said, an annoying smirk on her face, "but that's enough for tonight." She looked over at Lucy, who was reaching into her key pouch. "See you around, dear."

"Sagittarius!" Lucy yelled, bringing out a third golden key and summoning a new spirit. This one was male, tall and lanky; he wore a green tracksuit and wielded a bow in his left hand along with a quiver on his back. In seconds, he had nocked multiple arrows and fired them at the woman, but she outstretched her arms to her sides, manifesting another magical seal. This one sent a spiraling column of light flying toward the volley, which was destroyed on contact, and continuing on to the spirit, who jumped out of the way at the last moment, already nocking more arrows in response. As he fired those, the spiral of light that his target had been standing on grew into a much larger and flexible pillar, which carried her into the air and away from the projectiles. With another hand movement, she conjured another beam that blasted through the roof and allowed the pillar to carry her out into the night.

"Happy!" Natsu called, but his partner was already in action. He latched onto Natsu's shoulder and carried them through the hole and after the woman, who was already high in the sky. The Exceed beat his wings furiously but, as they closed in on their target, she reached into a pouch on her belt and brought out a large orb of orange crystal. She met Natsu's eyes and smiled before tossing it back down toward the hole in the ceiling. As the orb passed them, he sensed the fiery nature of the magic contained within and, with the realization that it was a Lacrima, his eyes widened.

"Go down now!" he said and, without hesitation, Happy broke off pursuit and went into a straight dive. The orb was closer to the ground than them, but they had the higher speed. As it fell through the hole, Natsu gave his partner one more instruction. "Let me go!" Once again, Happy complied and Natsu found himself descending even faster. He'd just cleared the hole when he saw the orb hit the floor and shatter.

Flames came into being from the shards, bursting into a blaze almost instantly. Natsu could feel it feeding on the air and growing uncontrollably; the fire was supposed to consume the warehouse, destroying the contents along with those inside.

But it couldn't do any of that if it was devoured first.

Natsu commanded the flames to submit to him. Lacking a proper will to resist, they complied and were immediately sucked into his open mouth. The sheer quantity meant that he wasn't done eating them by the time he hit the floor, though finishing his meal only took a few extra seconds. He felt his power replenished and his wounds healed as the magical fire joined with his own inner flames. When he was sure that the Lacrima shards had run dry, Natsu looked up and saw that Lucy was staring at him as though she'd never seen anything like him. The men that had fought her spirits were on the floor, defeated. Sagittarius was gone, but Cancer stood behind Lucy while the bull guy had taken up position next to the door and drawn his twin-headed axe.

"How'd you do…" she began to say, before shaking her head. "You can tell me later." She turned away from him and walked over to the splintered remains of a table, sifting through them. Once she had something in hand, she tossed it at Natsu, who caught it to find that it was a key ring. She turned away from him and spoke to the nearest of her spirits, who was using the shirt of an unconscious man to wipe his scissors clean of blood. "Thanks, Cancer. That's all for now."

The crab man sheathed his scissors. "Be careful, baby." He glanced at Natsu and raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as his body was shrouded by light and disappeared. A moment after that, Happy flew in through the hole in the ceiling and landed next to Natsu, drawing the attention of Lucy.

"How did you two know where I was?" Her eyes were narrowed in slight suspicion. "Did you follow me?"

Natsu said no almost exactly as Happy said yes. The two humans stared down at the Exceed, who was suddenly looking rather embarrassed. "I was out wandering the town and I saw that you were walking by yourself and you looked really suspicious," he began to say at a nearly incomprehensible speed, "so I followed you and you came here and picked a fight with those guys and there were women in cages and…"

Lucy held up a hand to stop Happy, who used the interruption to catch his breath. "It's alright," she said, just as Happy began to open his mouth again. "If the two of you hadn't showed up, that woman could've actually overpowered me." Lucy frowned. "I miscalculated the kind of magician they had available." Happy seemed relieved that no one was mad about his stalking, but Natsu doubted that his partner had just stumbled across Lucy by accident. He kept his suspicions unvoiced, though, as this was not the place for them and there were more important questions.

"Who are you even talking about?" Natsu asked. "What happened here?" Lucy began to reply, but Sagittarius, with a depleted quiver, chose that moment to enter the warehouse and walk up to them.

The spirit saluted Lucy before speaking. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I pursued the woman, but my arrows were all but useless against her. The distance between us grew until she was out of sight; she's gone."

Lucy sighed. "It's not your fault. We couldn't have known what kind of mage was behind this."

The spirit seemed to accept that, but his frown remained, even after he'd dropped the salute and joined his hands behind his back. "I saw people approaching; the noise must have drawn them to this place. We're going to have company, ma'am."

Lucy brought a hand up and wiped away the sweat on her brow. "What perfect timing." She looked to the spirit. "Thank you. That's all for now." Sagittarius saluted her again as he vanished into light. "Taurus?" She had to be speaking to the bull guy because he turned around. "I'll be alright by myself. I've got these two," she pointed her thumb back at Natsu and Happy, who both waved at Taurus somewhat awkwardly, "to watch my back."

"If you say so," Taurus grunted, attaching his axe to his back by a large belt that crossed his chest diagonally. His face took on a look of concern. "You've pushed your magic further than normal, summoning three of us at once. You're strong, but even the mightiest can only do so much. Be cautious, Miss Lucy."

Lucy smiled affectionately and, after she nodded back at him, Taurus also faded away into light, leaving the three of them alone. She took a deep breath and turned back to Natsu and Happy. "Let's get everyone out. I can explain everything after that's done." The partners both nodded. The trio got to work in silence, unlocking or breaking open cages and dragging out the unconscious people within, who were exclusively women.

They'd emptied most of the cages by the time that someone arrived to check out the commotion. After explaining themselves and avoiding a huge misunderstanding, the city guard was called to sort it all out and, once the victims were being tended to, the three of them ended up in an impromptu interrogation.

"So," the mustached captain of the guard began, "let me get this straight, Miss…"

"Heartfilia," Lucy repeated, slowly enunciating, "of the Heartfilia Concern. You must know of my family."

The captain raised an eyebrow, his tone turning skeptical. "You expect me to just believe you're part of the family behind one of the wealthiest companies in Fiore?"

"I've shown you my identification," Lucy crossed her arms. "If that isn't enough for you, feel free to contact the Heartfilia offices in Erigeron. I was there earlier today and they can easily verify who I am."

"Yes," the captain shook his head, "you mentioned that." He sighed and removed his helmet. His hair stuck to his scalp from sweat; Natsu wondered if the man had rushed here or he'd just had a long day. "Just let me ensure that I've understood you correctly. This is a delicate situation." The captain's gaze went toward the warehouse and Natsu followed it to see a great deal of activity going on. The city guard had cordoned off the area and was taking into custody the men that Lucy and her spirits had fought. Medics, both mundane people that gave off no magic as well as Healers with their identifying emblem of a red Lacrima crystal, tended to the wounded, though the bulk of their focus remained on the victims, who were slowly regaining consciousness and seemed to be in various degrees of shock, despite having no evident wounds or ailments. Whatever trauma they had endured was most likely non-physical.

The sight of so many at work, along with being given a chance to explain herself, seemed to improve Lucy's mood because she uncrossed her arms and took on a more neutral expression. "Alright then."

"You found hints that a group was behind a series of disappearances, going back at least one year."

"That's right," Lucy nodded. "If I'm correct, then this group is responsible for no less than forty unsolved missing person cases from all over Fiore. There were twenty eight women in the warehouse; the rest are unaccounted for."

"Once those men are fit to talk, we'll be interrogating them about that," the captain replied, his armor clacking and clinking as he replaced his helm and crossed his arms. "Instead of sharing this information with any authority, you, a civilian and independent mage, decided to try and personally interfere."

Lucy looked slightly abashed, but she remained calm and unapologetic. "Yes, that was because I first uncovered this group due to a…," she hesitated, " _unconventional_ investigation. I decided that it'd waste precious time, trying to go through official channels." Natsu wondered just what she meant by 'unconventional', but it seemed like neither Lucy nor the captain were about to discuss that.

"And yet, you said earlier that you met these two," the captain jerked his head toward him and Happy, "and invited them to lunch. You had time to visit a restaurant, but not enough to contact our garrison. Have I understood you correctly?"

Lucy drew herself up and presented as much confidence as she seemed to be capable of. "I came to Erigeron for a simple reason, captain: to _verify_ my suspicions." The captain raised an eyebrow, but he gestured for her to continue. "I was fairly certain that I was correct, but I lacked the proof to convince anyone with the power or authority to do something about it."

Lucy frowned and took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. "I had just one way of digging deeper; I used the Heartfilia Concern's connections to search for anything that would corroborate my findings. Obviously, that information isn't exactly ready at the drop of a hat, so I wandered the town while it was being gathered. Along the way, I encountered Natsu and Happy" here, she motioned at them and they waved at the captain when he looked their way, "where, feeling charitable, I bought them lunch. Once that was done, I returned to the Concern's offices, where I discovered that suspicious resources had been purchased and stored in a warehouse that, despite being rented for the past few years, was almost never actually used. The company behind these transactions doesn't actually exist except on paper."

She pointed at the boat Natsu had smelled as he and Happy were approaching, where the captain's men currently searched for evidence and stragglers. "There are no records of any ship ever accessing it. When I came to scout out the warehouse and found that this one was here, I decided to see if there was anything I could discover about them."

"Once you confirmed that there were suspicious individuals present," the captain interrupted, his eyes narrowed in suspicion, "why didn't you contact our garrison?"

"Believe me, that was my first instinct as well," Lucy admitted. "I may be a magician, but I'm not exactly a 'hands-on' fighter. But, after a bit of thought, I decided that leaving when the culprits were right there would risk them vanishing." The strength of her resolve was evident in her expression. "I went with what I believed to be the best option available. I refuse to apologize for that."

The captain crossed his arms. "I have no need or use for apologies from you." He took a deep breath and released it in a sigh, visibly relaxing. "Under the circumstances, I'd agree that you reacted correctly. However, your actions, while commendable, have complicated this matter further. Now, there'll have to be an official inquiry. We'll be evaluating your methods and whether you were within the bounds of law, amongst other things. For now, you're free to go, but we'll be in contact." Lucy looked a bit irritated, but she kept quiet, to Natsu's impressed surprise. He was at least as ticked off as her at the legal nonsense, but he probably wouldn't have taken it so well, if he were an independent mage.

One of the guards approached, but the man stopped with a raised hand from his captain, who looked at Natsu and his Exceed partner. "Natsu Dragneel and Happy-go-Lucky," Natsu winced at the use of Happy's full name, which he knew annoyed his partner like nothing else, "as members of a legal guild, you're out of my jurisdiction. I'll send a message to the Council; they'll decide what to do about you." The captain began walking off with his subordinate, waving a hand at them over his shoulder without looking back. "Have a good night, you three. Try not to get in any more trouble."

As the trio was left alone, Lucy turned to Happy. There was a sly grin on her face. "Happy-go-Lucky?"

"Don't say it!" Happy crossed his arms, pouting. "Not one word about it! We're moving on, OK!?"

"I'm sorry," Lucy shook with barely contained laughter. "I just can't believe _that's_ your name. How'd that happen?"

"My dad's got a bad sense of humor," Happy deadpanned. With that, the dam burst and Lucy doubled up in laughter, a lovely sound that brought Natsu to join her. Happy sniffed and turned away from them, which only increased their amusement, but, soon enough, he'd started snickering as well. In a corner of his mind, Natsu figured they must have looked weird, laughing next to a crime scene, but he didn't care. They kept at it for about half a minute before recovering.

"You can't blame her, Happy," Natsu said, smiling down at his partner as the three of them began walking out of the port. "Remember how I reacted when your name was explained to me?"

Happy scowled. "Don't remind me," he looked at Lucy while pointing at Natsu. "This guy literally started rolling around on the floor, roaring with laughter."

"Yeah, well," Natsu shrugged, "I stopped and apologized when you started crying, right? Didn't I promise not to do it ever again, too?"

"Yeah, you did." Happy sighed. "So far, he's kept his word, but sometimes he gets close to breaking it, like just now."

"Well, if you're that sensitive about it," Lucy said, hiding her mouth behind a hand, "I'm sorry. I promise not to laugh at your name, OK?"

Happy stopped in his tracks and stared up at her. "Alright," he said, nodding slowly. "Apology accepted."

Lucy offered a hand, which Happy took in his paw for a sort of handshake. "If apologies are done with," she said, "I guess I'll start with thanking you two. If you two hadn't shown up when you did, I would've been in trouble." She looked up at the night sky, full with shining stars. "That woman was the real deal; she barely interfered while her men got beaten up by my spirits. She must've figured she could take me on her own. But, for some reason," she looked back at Natsu, "she ran away when you showed up."

"Maybe she recognized this," he thumbed his guild mark, "Fairy Tail ain't a guild to scoff at. Or heck," Natsu shrugged, "she might have known who I was. I'm kinda famous or infamous or whatever."

" _That's_ how you ate the fire," Lucy's eyes widened in realization. "You're a Fire Dragon Slayer, right?" Natsu nodded. "Wow, I never thought I'd meet the only living user of such an ancient, powerful magic."

"Yep," he thumped his chest with a fist, "Fairy Tail's one and only Natsu Dragneel," he said, smiling. "About time we were properly introduced, huh?"

Lucy reciprocated his smile. "Pleased to meet you, Natsu," she looked down at his partner, "and Happy."

They walked in silence after that, though it wasn't until they were back on the streets that Natsu realized that none of them had said where they were going. From his position at the rear of their group, he looked at Lucy. She had no injuries, but she still seemed a bit exhausted. As an independent mage, she probably wasn't used to magical battles. Or, if she really was so rich, any combat, for that matter.

An idea popped into Natsu's head and, refusing to think twice about it, he asked her a question.

"Lucy," she paused and turned toward him, "how's about you join Fairy Tail?"

She took a step back. "What?" she asked, clearly surprised by the question. "Why me?"

Natsu grinned at her and began lifting fingers as he listed the reasons. "You're a pretty good magician, you ain't afraid to do things your way and you got a good heart. You'd fit right in. Though," he shrugged, "we're all kinda weirdoes. You'll probably be the sanest person there, at least while you're starting off." She looked uncertain, so he tried to reassure her. "Don't worry; we'll rub off on you eventually. Well, what'cha thinking? Wanna give it a go?"

As she appeared to be considering it, Natsu made eye contact with Happy. They didn't even need to speak to understand each other. He seemed to agree with Natsu's offer, but there was some doubt on his face. Natsu did his best to silently reassure his partner and the hesitation in the Exceed's expression diminished, though it was still evident.

After the better part of a minute, Lucy seemed to have made up her mind. "Yes," she said, smiling. "I'd love to join Fairy Tail," her smile grew wider as Natsu pumped his fist in the air, "but," she raised a hand, "I can't just run off right now. This is a big decision; I need to go home and get ready to move out. Might take a couple of days."

"Alright," Natsu said, his cheerful mood undiminished, "that's fine. Fairy Tail's based out of Magnolia. You know it?" Lucy nodded. "So, we'll be seeing you in, what, three or four days?" She nodded again. "Awesome. I'll tell the master to expect a new member; even if I'm not there, he can get you started." He offered a hand and, after a second, Lucy took it in hers. Her grip was lacking, but her skin was soft and her palm was warm, though a bit slick with sweat. With that finalization, she said her goodbyes and went off toward her own destination as Natsu and Happy headed back to their inn.

Once they were out of Lucy's sight, Happy spoke up. "You _like_ her, don't you?" he said, a silly smile on his face.

"What!?" Natsu yelled, more forcefully than he'd intended. "No, I don't," he said, lowering his voice.

"It's OK, Natsu," Happy shook his head, sagely. "This is a common phenomenon amongst guys your age. They meet a pretty girl and any brains they had dribble out of their ears."

"She's pretty?" Natsu shrugged. "I didn't really notice. You shouldn't focus so much on appearances, Happy." Now, he shook his head in mock disapproval. "That's so shallow, I expected better of you."

The Exceed was undeterred. "Natsu, I'm not even human and I can tell she's _really_ attractive, especially in what cruder males would call," he actually raised his paws and did the air quotes, " _assets_."

Natsu opened his mouth to reply, but stopped when he realized that what he was about to say would only play into Happy's hands. He kept his opinion of Lucy's… _assets_ to himself.

Happy smiled at the little victory. They walked in silence for a while, but he wasn't done yet.

"Did you notice that she was into you?" Happy said, his volume low, like he was sharing a secret.

Natsu snorted. "You're lying."

"No, really," Happy insisted. "She kept sneaking peeks at your chest; I swear I even saw a bit of drool."

Natsu looked down at his partner without turning his head. "Seriously? Drool?"

"I don't know," Happy admitted, with a shrug and a grin sharp enough to cut stone, "maybe?"

"Oh, you cheeky little…" Natsu reached for Happy, but the Exceed was quick and had already taken off, though he hadn't brought out the wings. Laughing, they ran through the darkened streets of Erigeron, Natsu chasing his partner all the way back to the inn.


	4. Chapter 3: Makarov

**Chapter 3: Makarov**

* * *

 **Makarov, Magnolia Town, July 7, 784**

* * *

It was moments like these that made him wonder whether he was too lenient with the guild.

"And then, most recently," Yajima said, voice coming from the Lacrima on the desk right in front of him, "there's the matter of the Shepherd's Purse Observatory, whose operations ceased after Natsu nearly collapsed it into the ravine. We're still adding up the damages, but the staff is withholding payment, on the grounds of covering the costs." His friend's voice paused. "Makarov? Are you still there?"

He grunted, shifting slightly in his seat. "I'm here, Yajima. My rear's just fallen asleep. Always happens with these _delightful_ conversations of ours."

Yajima sighed and Makarov suspected that he'd started pinching the bridge of his nose. "Makarov, I'm as fond of these reprimands as you are, but when the guild keeps getting in trouble, what else can I do?" The sound of shuffling paper was audible on the other end of the link. "You hear that? It's another stack of complaints and grievances. I get these _every_ week. I can't keep balancing my duties as a Councilor with helping your brats avoid the consequences of their actions."

"I understand that, old friend," Makarov said, trying to be conciliatory, "You know that I'm very grateful for your management on most of our cases. The other Councilors wouldn't be nearly as lenient."

"Well, they're not former members," Yajima replied. "They can't understand our… _eccentricities_."

Makarov snorted. "They're also not as easy to buy off as you are."

"Hey," Yajima's tone turning to mock offense, "I'll have you know that you are a unique exception. If anyone else tried to bribe me, I'd ask for a lot more than a bowl of ramen with pork slices." He chuckled. "Mind you, there's no way I'd ever take a _real_ payoff. This job's too important to consider screwing it up."

"Got that right," he nodded, even though Yajima couldn't see it. "Sometimes, I wonder which of us has the tougher job. Between what I have to put up with and the stories you've told me, I'm still not sure who ended up with the short end of the stick in our old age."

"Makarov," Yajima's voice now held amusement, "stop kidding yourself, it's you. I wouldn't have taken the job, even if Master Precht had picked me. As frustrating as being a Councilor can be, you're the one that gets nagged at, not me. And being a Wizard Saint just makes it worse; they expect more from you."

He scowled. "You know, there's a reason that I don't like chatting with you."

Yajima laughed and Makarov felt the urge to smack him on the back of the head with an enlarged hand, if only he were nearby. "Yeah, yeah, I can take a hint. We've covered the last of this week's issues; Natsu _was_ part of an incident in Erigeron a few days ago, but you won't be billed for that. Destruction was minimal."

"Yes, I'm already aware of that business," he said, massaging his temples as he thought back to Natsu's report. "Another person involved, Lucy Heartfilia, is actually supposed to be joining the guild soon."

"Really?" Yajima said, surprised and curious. "That'll be interesting, if nothing else. Might help the girl out when we finally get around to evaluating her case. I'll be contacting you about her appointment, then." He could hear some scribbling on the other end before Yajima spoke again, his light-heartedness diminished. "Think about what you're gonna do about your troublemakers, Makarov. I don't want to see our guild disbanded, but there's only so much I can do and I won't be around forever." He paused before adding, "Neither will you, for that matter."

Makarov took in a deep breath and released it slowly. "I know, Shiro. Believe me, I know. As always, thanks for your help." They said their goodbyes and the communication Lacrima darkened as Yajima ended the connection. Makarov ran a hand through the hair on the outer rim of his head. He'd become almost entirely bald long ago, though the jester's hat he often wore did a good job of concealing that. He was already older than Precht had been when he'd chosen Makarov as his successor.

Perhaps it was time to give serious consideration as to who would become the next Master of Fairy Tail. He'd have gotten around to it sooner, if only the candidates weren't all so problematic.

His first pick was, of course, Gildarts. Despite the dangerous nature of his magic, he had the qualities of a decent Master for Fairy Tail: powerful, experienced, occasionally wise and suitably odd. But he was often away from the guild for long stretches of time. His latest job had kept him busy for three years and there were many members that had never even met him. When he got back, they'd need to have a talk.

Next choice would be Erza. Despite her youth, or perhaps because of it, she'd earned the guild's respect. It might've been at least partially based on fear, but it was genuine. But she still had some growing to do before he could count on her to bear the mantle of Master. Perhaps, in a few years…

As much as he wanted to, he couldn't really consider Mystogan for it either. It was hard enough for him to trust a man that, blatantly and flagrantly, did not trust them. Most of the guild wouldn't agree with it.

Laxus managed to combine those three's problems, along with a personality poorly suited for the job.

There were a few options outside of the S-Classes, but he doubted they'd be capable of keeping up with the guild. _Maybe_ Macao could…

His thoughts were interrupted by the all-too-familiar sounds of a battle going on out in the main hall. He sighed as he heard the distinct sounds of wood splintering and glass shattering, along with raised voices from many of his magicians. "Those noisy fools," he said, rising from his chair, to the relief of his bottom. "We've just finished replacing everything from last week's mess and they're already destroying it again."

Makarov made his way over to the door of his office and opened it, only to slam it shut as a bottle suddenly flew straight toward where his face had been. He felt the impact on the other side and whatever liquid had been inside was starting to seep under the crack at his feet, dampening his shoes.

Shaking his head, he tried again, this time successfully exiting his office without getting hit by projectiles, and saw what the proud members of Fairy Tail, a guild of just under a hundred years old, were up to.

It was an all-out brawl. Nearly every person in the hall was fighting someone else. The exceptions were the scant few that stayed out of these incidents on principle. Happy was hiding behind a table, though Makarov could see Natsu preparing to throw another table at Gray, who'd managed to lose his clothes _again._ He seemed to be holding onto his underwear this time, though, so it wasn't as bad as it could…

"Aaaaaand, there they go." Makarov averted his gaze, though he heard the screaming intensify.

Elfman, as usual, had his fists raised as he yelled about manhood. He dodged a flying bottle that kept going to hit his sister, who also hadn't been involved in any of this. Despite being knocked to the floor, he saw Mirajane get up again, her smile utterly unaffected as she bled freely from the forehead.

Cana, who could usually be relied upon to stay out of this nonsense so long as she had access to alcohol, was holding up a card that glowed bright blue as she "suggested" that everyone settle down. Despite her questionable technique, he had to acknowledge that she was at least _trying_ to end this.

Unfortunately, that only made it worse. Now, some of the more hotheaded amongst them had taken it as a challenge and were readying their own magic in response. Makarov saw that even Loke, who normally avoided these scuffles for the sake of the young ladies he often had on each arm, was touching the magic ring he had on one hand, summoning forth a magic seal. This was only one of the many seals that had sprung up all but simultaneously.

This had gone on long enough.

"Would you fools stop bickering like children!" he bellowed, enlarging his body to a giant's size as well as altering his voice and shrouding his form in shadow. A tad unnecessary, but it was undeniably effective. They stopped fighting immediately, frozen in place at being caught misbehaving. He heard someone cough and break the silence, but it was Mirajane who first spoke.

"Oh, you were here, Master?" Her tone was upbeat, as though he hadn't just stopped the guild from destroying their main hall. He grunted as he turned to look at her and finally noticed the stranger standing next to her, looking at him with terrified awe. He hadn't seen her until now, but he was glad that she managed to avoid getting dragged into this latest fracas. Makarov already liked this one.

Natsu had started laughing and bragging, so Makarov nonchalantly stepped on him. This visibly unsettled the stranger, so he decided to cut to the chase.

"A new recruit?" he asked, voice and form still altered to sound and look rather monstrous.

The dumbstruck girl nodded, slowly regaining the capacity for speech. "Y-Yes…" she said, at a barely audible volume that was loud enough in the silence of the hall.

He grunted again as he shrunk back down to his normal size, which was barely tall enough to reach the girl's knees, and released the spells on his voice and form. "Nice to meetcha!" he said, in his own voice, greeting her with one raised hand.

She looked down at him, her expression only slightly less awed or terrified, mouth agape. "You're Makarov Dreyar!"

"Yes, I am," he replied, somewhat amused. If he ever needed to be reminded of his name, this girl would be the one to do it. "And you're Lucy Heartfilia, right?" As she nodded in stunned silence, he chuckled. "Natsu told me about you. I'll get you settled in a second," he turned away from her. "First, I need to yell at these morons."

He jumped, somersaulting as he covered several meters of flight through the air toward the balustrade above him. The maneuver failed, unfortunately, and he hit his head on the banister, though he managed to remain on the second floor. He picked himself up without a word and looked down at his brats.

"You've done it again, idiots," he said, crossing his arms. "I've just finished speaking with Yajima about your latest batch of screw-ups." The brats at least had the self-awareness to look shame-faced, though none of them were willing to meet his eyes. The boisterous mood was entirely gone as he stared down at them, his face set in exasperation and disappointment.

"Guys…" he sighed, uncrossing his arms, "the Council's angry at us all the time. We keep this up, the day may come when they decide we're not worth putting up with. We'll be disbanded." He looked around to the more troublesome of his brats as he spoke. "Is that what you want, to have our family torn apart because we broke some rules?" They shook their heads, but it wasn't enough for Makarov. He needed to get through to them and be certain that they understood him clearly.

"Listen up!" he began, in a booming volume that drew all their eyes to him. "We all know that Magic is not a miracle. It's a talent, born from the flow of our spirits connecting to the flow of the natural world that we inhabit. To progress as a magician, one must have a strong mind and focus. One must pour all of their soul into their being; that is how magic is born! If all you do is worry over what lies beyond control, then you shall never move forward, as magicians or people!" Their faces displayed a renewed hope, but he wasn't done yet.

"However," he yelled, "being a part of the world means adapting to its limitations. If you keep fighting what cannot be changed, then all you'll accomplish is self-destruction! The greatest hurdle we magicians face is striving for that balance; when you reach that place where your soul synchronizes with reality, then you shall find the power to change the world as you see fit!"

He paused for his words to sink in before continuing.

" _That_ ," he said, outstretching his arms, "is the Fairy Tail way! Not doing whatever you please! We face the world head-on, finding our places in it without losing sight of our spirits, our hearts, or our dreams!" He raised his arms over his head. "Do not fear the Council! Do not turn away from them, either! All I ask is that you aim to work _with_ them, instead of _against_ them! Is that a simple request? No! Will it be easy? No!" He grinned. "But tell me, has Fairy Tail ever given up when faced with a challenge?

"No!" they all shouted, voices coming together in a thunderous roar, their faces set in determination. Makarov was aware that they'd still clash against the Council. His brats were too rambunctious to follow all the rules. But he knew that they'd at least try and that was good enough for him.

He leaped back down to the first floor and walked up to Lucy, who seemed pleasantly surprised. "Lucy? Come with me, please." She followed him as he weaved through wrecked furniture and cheering mages. They arrived at his office door, where he entered first and closed it behind her once she'd stepped in, shutting out most of the noise. Smiling, he turned to face her. "Now, _that_ was a first impression, no?"

Lucy seemed worried. "Sorry about that, Mr. Dreyar. I _kinda_ caused that scene outside. Once they heard I was going to join, some of them started asking me to join their teams and things got a bit… heated."

Makarov chuckled as he moved to sit down. "Please call me Makarov, and don't worry, dear. Those buffoons are always itching to fight. If it hadn't been over you, they'd have found some other reason."

"Really?" she said, taking the seat in front of his desk. "I have to admit, I wasn't sure what the guild was going to be like. I've heard of the trouble Fairy Tail gets up to, but I didn't believe much of it till now."

He clasped his hands as he looked at her. "So, have we scared you off or are you still interested?"

Her expression turned serious and focused. "I want to join the guild, sir. How do I go about doing that?"

Makarov shrugged. "It's not a complicated process. You can join right now." He opened a desk drawer and brought out a small sheaf of papers and a pen. "Fill these out," he handed it all to her. "If there's anything you don't know, leave it blank and I'll help you finish it later. Once you're done, we'll give you the guild mark. Then, you're set." He stood up again. "If you need me, I'm just outside at the bar."

"Wait," she looked baffled, "that's all? It's that easy?"

"What were you expecting," Makarov said, moving back toward the door, "an initiation? We're not big on ceremony around here, if you didn't notice." He put his hand on the doorknob, looking back at her. "Heck, we'd have a party to welcome you, but a lot of our mages are out on jobs right now. It wouldn't be fair to leave them out." He turned the knob and opened the door. His brats had quieted down and gotten started on bringing out the back-up furniture, at least. "See you in a second." He left his office and shut the door behind him. The guild had settled back into its usual atmosphere. Mira was busy, moving around the hall as she waited on tables, delivering food and taking used dishes to the kitchen. He walked over to the bar and jumped up onto it, sitting down in his favored spot, from which he could watch just about everything happening on the first floor.

He saw that Natsu had ordered one of his "special meals": pasta, chicken and a drink, all of which were on fire. The boy must've been getting ready to go out on a job. The sight of him gave Makarov an idea, which he'd act on once Natsu was done. Fortunately, the boy had never been terribly patient with food. As soon as Mira had set everything in front of him, Natsu started eating, getting out a muffled "thanks" through a mouth full of food. Mira didn't seem to mind Natsu's poor manners, though; she giggled as she walked off. Then again, there were few things that could put her in a bad mood. That made sense, he supposed. Since she'd retired from taking jobs, Mira hadn't faced any stress as bad as…

Makarov stopped himself before he started thinking about the prior generation of the Strauss family. That was a trap he kept falling into. Taking those memories, he mentally partitioned them into the place where unpleasant things went, which seemed to be bigger every time he addressed it. He really was getting too old for this job.

After a minute or two of doing his best not to reminisce, Makarov heard the door to his office open and saw Lucy step out. She spotted him and walked over, presenting the papers in her hand. "Done!"

Makarov raised his eyebrows. "That fast, huh?" he said, taking them from her. He scanned them for mistakes or blank spaces, but the girl had provided every detail requested and in neat handwriting, too.

"Yeah," she smiled nervously. "I actually checked out the standard forms to join a magical guild beforehand. I just didn't want to mess it up and show up without some crucial information, you know?"

He looked up at her. "Lucy Heartfilia, you are quickly becoming a favorite of mine. You have any idea how many magicians hand these in, ready for processing, on their first try?" She shook her head slowly. "Plenty of them screw it up the first time and the rest usually lack some crucial bit of information that their poor Masters have to track down so they can _officially_ join a guild." He tipped his hat in salute, to her visible embarrassment. "Well done on breaking the mold." Makarov waved down Mira and held up Lucy's paperwork. "Bring me," he paused for effect, as he always did on these occasions, "The Stamp." Mira smiled, nodding as she walked back to his office, just as Natsu finished his meal and stood up, followed by Happy as he headed toward the job board. "Natsu, Happy," Makarov said, "come here."

The partners looked at each other before changing directions and standing before him, Natsu crossing his arms before speaking. "What's up, Gramps? We were about to go pick out a job."

"Are we in trouble?" Happy asked, looking up at him. The Exceed was the only member that was actually _shorter_ than Makarov.

"No, nothing like that," he said, noticing Mira emerge from his office, an item in hand. "I just needed you for something."

Mira walked over to them and presented the Magic Stamp Tool, also known as the stamp by people who didn't feel like saying three words when one was sufficient. Makarov seized it and pointed it at Lucy, who was already placing her right hand on the bar. "You want it there?" She nodded enthusiastically. "Alright then." He pressed the stamp down on the back of her hand with little force; as a magical device, it didn't need much. Light shone from where the handle met the mount, fading once it was finished. Makarov lifted the stamp, revealing a newly produced symbol, the emblem of Fairy Tail, on Lucy's hand. She brought it up and stared at the mark with a look of innocent joy. Makarov smiled, before pressing the stamp down on her paperwork, completing the link between her and it. "Lucy Heartfilia," he said, adjusting his tone to sound moderately professional, "I officially welcome you to Fairy Tail."

"Congratulations, Lucy!" Mira said, as he handed the stamp back to her. Seizing the paperwork as well, she walked off to put everything away.

"Natsu, look!" Lucy turned her hand around and showed him her mark. "I'm part of Fairy Tail now!"

The boy had one of his carefree grins on. "Good for you, Lucy." Happy congratulated her from the floor as Natsu turned to Makarov. "Was that all, Gramps?"

Makarov shook his head, turning serious again. "Unfortunately, there's another reason I asked you two over here. Lucy, this involves you as well." She looked uncertain, but nodded. "First, a question for you, Natsu." The boy was surprised at being singled out. "Have you noticed who's been absent from the guild recently?"

Natsu gave it some thought and, to Makarov's satisfaction, he had an answer. "You mean Macao, right?"

"Exactly," Makarov watched as Mira left his office, shut the door and went back to her duties. "He took a job over at the Stellaria Mountains. It was run-of-the-mill monster extermination, taking out Gorians that kept causing trouble for a research station. Wakaba would've gone with him, but Kasumi got sick." He shook his head. "You know how he gets about his daughter. Macao understood and went on alone. He estimated he'd be back in three days, at the most." Makarov frowned. "That was a week ago, today. Romeo's been staying at Wakaba's. He comes around every day to ask about his father, but I haven't had any news to give him."

Natsu's eyes narrowed, his expression taking on a controlled anger, while Lucy only seemed anxious, both at the news and at Natsu's shift in mood.

"It's a day's train ride to the Stellaria Mountains and back," Makarov continued. "If there was a problem, he'd have sent word ahead; Macao may've been a bad husband, but he's as good a father as any, and he _hates_ making Romeo worry. Now, I'm not one to doubt our members. Especially Macao," he looked at Lucy. "He's been part of the guild since before you were even born." He closed his eyes. "Still, I can't help but be worried about him."

Opening his eyes, Makarov saw that the three magicians in front of him, two humans and an Exceed, were waiting for their Master to finish. "And that's where you come in." He smiled bitterly at Lucy. "Think of it as your unofficial first mission as a member. Go to Stellaria, find out what happened and bring Macao back, be it alive," he took a deep breath, "or dead. If there's a body, he should be buried."

Natsu's hands had clutched into fists at the notion of Macao's death. Without another word, he turned and began walking toward the door.

"Natsu," Makarov said, at a volume that wouldn't call attention. The boy paused. "You three aren't actually the first members to go after him." Natsu turned around, slight confusion visible on his face.

"Lisanna," Makarov saw Natsu's eyes widen. "She was here two days ago when Romeo came in. She asked for permission and I gave it." Natsu stared down at the floor as Makarov spoke. "It is possible that she's already found him, but she also hasn't sent word. Either she has no leads or she's in trouble too. Either way, you'll be useful." He watched Natsu for a reaction to his next words. "You going to be OK?"

Makarov could see Natsu gritting his teeth, but he nodded anyway. The boy turned back to the door and walked out of the guild hall. His partner, visibly worried, stared at him before running to catch up.

"What was _that_ about?" Lucy looked to Makarov. "Do Natsu and Lisanna not get along or something?"

He chuckled. "They used to be best friends. They still get along; it just got… complicated between them." Makarov smiled sadly at her. "It's a long story, one that others have more right to tell than I do. For now, just try to focus on the job. You'll probably need to keep them all grounded, whatever actually happens. When you get back, I'll help get you settled in and I'll compensate you for being so sudden about this." She wasn't moving, so Makarov jerked his head at the door. "Get going. The way he is now, Natsu might not be willing to wait for you."

Lucy seemed worried, but she nodded and headed out the door at a speed that was just below running. Makarov watched her until she was beyond his sight. He looked around and saw Mira, who was laughing at something that her brother had said.

Makarov was not a religious man. Despite the hardships of his life, he'd never offered worship to a God. But, when he thought of all that the Strauss siblings had been through and what was currently at stake, he felt tempted to say a prayer to any deity that was willing to listen, for their sake.


	5. Chapter 4: Mountaintop Tussle, Part 1

**Author's Note: It has been a while since I updated, hasn't it? I apologize for that; I need to adjust my work ethic. I'd like to let you know that I do read and often respond to reviews, whether substantive or superficial, so go ahead and leave some. I'm always interested in feedback and, since I generally don't like leaving Author's Notes, that's also the easiest way to hear directly from me.**

 **Lucy, Holosteum Town, July 7, 784**

Almost exactly as the train began to move, Natsu became visibly ill. Lucy would have never thought that anyone could be so susceptible to motion sickness, but, once again, Natsu had proven that he was an exceptional individual. The first time he had to swallow his own vomit, though, she'd begun to worry.

"Is he going to be OK?" she asked Happy, who seemed utterly unconcerned.

"Aye," he replied, still gazing out the window at the scenery that whipped past them. "This happens all the time. There's nothing to do but let him work through it."

At first, she'd dropped the matter at that. But eventually, after a few hours had passed, the issue was revisited when the conductor had made his rounds. He'd entered their compartment and found Natsu holding in a mouthful of throw-up. The poor man had tried to help, but, after Happy had politely explained the futility of helping his partner, the man had departed, slightly downcast. Not long after that, Natsu had risen and said that he was going to the bathroom, leaving Lucy alone with his partner.

"You know, there _is_ medication for motion sickness," Lucy said, once the door had shut behind Natsu. "I'm pretty sure there are certain magical aids for it as well; maybe a Lacrima or a spell of some kind?"

Happy shook his head. "We've tried all of that and more; nothing works." He shifted to face Lucy, eyes unnervingly wide. Other than the rattling of the train, the compartment was silent as she did her best not to twitch or show discomfort while the Exceed stared. She felt as though her soul was being gauged.

Just as it started to feel unbearable, the Exceed turned away. "Natsu's motion sickness isn't normal. It's a side effect of being a Dragon Slayer." He was quiet after that, apparently waiting for her reaction.

Lucy took a slow breath, understanding that the Exceed had just trusted her with private information. "What do you mean?" she asked, cautiously. "Natsu's magic made him like this?"

Happy's expression was unreadable. "Natsu's senses are a lot better than those of a normal human because Dragon Slayer magic brought him closer to the nature of a true dragon. But, it also screwed up something in his body. So now, he gets motion sick in any form of transportation that's not by air."

"So, if you were to carry him…" she began to say.

"He'd be fine." Happy completed, nodding. "Anything else, even being carried by a person, is no good." As Happy looked at her, Lucy realized that he was unsure if she was trustworthy. "Don't tell anyone, OK? It's not easy for him, being the only living Dragon Slayer. Natsu tends to attract… attention from people. If it got out that he can't use transportation without getting sick, someone might get the wrong idea."

She met his unblinking stare, managing to maintain eye contact. "You can trust me."

Happy smiled. Somehow, it was both vaguely friendly and mildly uncomfortable. "I hope so, Lucy."

Natsu returned shortly after that. The rest of the train ride passed in relative silence.

It was just past midday when they were finally close enough to catch sight of the Stellaria Mountains through the window. As just one of the many mountain ranges that characterized Fiore's topography, seeing them wasn't exactly a breath-taking experience. Even so, Lucy felt a hint of awe as she looked at the snow-covered summits, which were shining, even with the sun still out.

Lucy thought back to her lessons on geography. Despite having rather limited interest in the subject, she'd been captivated on the day she'd learned about the Stellaria Mountains. The range was named so, not only after a certain genus of flowering plants, but also for the phenomenon that caused its peaks to become faintly luminous and star-like, especially at night. Settlements in the area organized festivals where people could gather on certain days to watch the mountains on particularly brilliant occasions.

Unfortunately, the range's Gorian infestation made traversing them difficult at best and deadly at worst. Lucy did her best to recall what she'd learned on them from the bestiary she'd received many years ago.

The monsters could survive in nearly any habitat, but preferred environments undisturbed by humanity, such as forests, caverns and, obviously, mountains. Being a common danger for travelers, they had become one of the most often hunted magical creatures in the Council territories, despite displaying limited sentience, such as understanding and even speaking human language. In fact, Gorians were such a concern that eliminating them was, usually but not exclusively, left to magical guilds that specialized in combat, such as Fairy Tail.

It was only then that the true danger ahead became apparent to her. If Macao, a long-time member of a combat guild, had faced difficulty while fighting Gorians, then Lucy wasn't certain what she, a summoner with little battle experience and less than a day's career with Fairy Tail, could do. For the first time since she'd received this mission, Lucy felt uncertain, though she managed to keep from showing it. Not that Natsu was in any shape to notice, but Happy, the observant little Exceed, would probably catch on quickly. She didn't need him to doubt her any more than he already did.

But wasn't Happy right to lack faith in her? She wasn't deluding herself; Lucy knew she was a coward and had struggled with that for most of her life. Joining Fairy Tail had been a spur-of-the-moment decision. She'd left a comfortable life for an unpredictable future fraught with life-threatening danger.

Did she really belong here?

Anxiety and dread began to take root within her. But, familiar with this tendency to become her own worst enemy, Lucy forcibly quieted that line of thinking before she was entirely undone and thought of the last few days: facing the kidnappers at the Erigeron warehouse, standing up for herself during the guard captain's interrogation, arguing with her father over her decision to join a guild and moving out of the only home she'd ever known.

Most recently, she had accepted a mission to find Macao, who was one of her guildmates and a father in his own right. She remembered that this man had a child, Romeo, who she hadn't yet met, in Magnolia, waiting for him to come back.

With that, Lucy's conviction was renewed. The fear still lingered, but now she didn't feel overwhelmed. She sat quietly with the boys, who remained unaware of her inner turmoil.

Little more than an hour after Stellaria had come into sight, they'd arrived at the station of Holosteum, the town that was the closest settlement to the mountains. Not long after the train stopped moving, Natsu had started feeling better, though he didn't seem to be capable of walking yet. Once he'd nearly fallen over a third time, Lucy had wordlessly offered him a hand. His cheeks had turned slightly red, but whether from effort or embarrassment, she wasn't certain. Whichever it was, he still managed to smile as he took her hand, accepting her help to disembark. Happy, expression neutral, had simply watched the moment happen.

Lucy helped Natsu over to a bench outside on the platform, where he sat down and began to recover. "Are you going to be OK?" she asked, concerned.

His grin was slightly fatigued, but it didn't lack for enthusiasm. "Yeah," he said, between deep breaths, "I'll be fine. J-just let me… rest for a second."

She wasn't sure if he was in any shape for what was probably going to be a violent job, but Natsu knew his limits better than she did. Who was she to insist otherwise? She looked at Happy, who'd taken a seat next to his partner. "Keep an eye on him. I'm going to find out how we can get to the research station, alright?"

Happy smiled, but, unlike before, this one seemed genuinely pleasant. "Aye, sir!" he said. "Good luck!" She stared at him, trying to make sense of his shift in demeanor, but even now, he was indecipherable. Shaking her head, Lucy left the duo on the bench and headed back to their train, where porters were busy, assisting other passengers as well as unloading all sorts of luggage and parcels. She approached one who was mostly unoccupied and, after a polite conversation, she'd gained detailed directions.

Returning to where she'd left the boys, Lucy found that Natsu was fully recovered from his ordeal and anxious to get going, judging by the speed with which he jumped up from the bench when he saw her. "So, what's next?" he asked, speaking before she could get a word out. "How're we getting up there?"

She gazed out the window behind him at the mountains, looming in the distance like radiant giants, and focused on a particular peak, where she could just barely make out a structure. "As it turns out, there's an aerial tramway that can take us pretty close to the research facility. The people up there used it to come and go from the town. Only," she frowned, "there's an ongoing blizzard at the other end. It's been closed for safety reasons."

"Damn it," he said, frowning and turning around to stare out the window as well. "Can we try hiking it?"

Lucy sighed. "Hiking up won't just be more dangerous, it'll waste time we might not have. I say we go to the tramway and ask the staff if we can go up anyway. Maybe they'll be willing to make an exception." When he didn't look away from the window, she added, "It's a place to start. Let's explore our options before running up there, OK?"

Natsu's hands clenched into fists, but he uncurled them as he pivoted to face her. "Alright," he said, looking frustrated but staying calm. "Lead the way."

The three of them headed to the station's exit and exited into the town, where Lucy was first struck by the abrupt temperature shift. She'd expected that Holosteum, located in Fiore's northernmost region, wouldn't be as warm as she was used to, but she hadn't known that any part of the country could be so cold in the middle of summer. The streets were even dusted with a light covering of snow. The boys fell behind her as she took the lead, guiding them to their destination.

Not long after they set out, Lucy began to regret coming in such unsuitable clothes. The wind was bitterly cold and, as a sudden gust flicked at her, Lucy shivered, finding it difficult to stop. She rubbed her bare arms, trying to warm them even slightly, but it wasn't very effective.

Looking back at the boys, she was surprised to find that neither of them seemed bothered by the cold. Natsu met her gaze with a puzzled expression. "What is it?"

"Oh, nothing," Lucy said, turning away quickly. She wasn't about to admit her discomfort, not when those two were walking around wearing even less than she was. They moved on through the streets, which were mostly devoid of other people, eventually reaching the outskirts of Holosteum. The lift station came into sight, distinct from the few other buildings in the area by the steel cables that extended up in the direction of the Stellaria Mountains.

Lucy turned back to the boys. "Look! The lights are still on. Maybe there's someone we can speak to." Natsu smiled and broke into a run, moving past her quickly. Stunned, she looked to Happy, who shrugged before bringing out his wings and flying after his partner. She picked up the pace, but Natsu took the steps up to the entrance three at a time. By the time she reached the top of the steps, he had already gotten past the door and into the station, Happy close behind and already putting his wings away.

"Hey!" Natsu yelled, "anybody here!?" The reception area was small, but there was no one in sight.

"What!?" A voice yelled back at him, preceding the hurried arrival of its owner. A middle-aged man, wearing a blue winter jacket and looking worried, came in from a door leading to an office.

Natsu turned to him, smiling. "Hi! We need to get up to the top of the mountains. Any way you could help us out?"

The man paused in his steps and looked at Natsu oddly. "That's it?" Natsu nodded, even as she caught her breath and Happy went back to looking like an ordinary cat. The man frowned at Natsu, looking distinctly annoyed. "That yelling just now was because you want to go up to the top?"

Lucy stepped forward before Natsu could say anything. "It's not that we _want_ to go up, it's that we _need_ to." She held up her right hand, showing the man her guild mark. His eyebrows shot up. "We're legal mages and we need to get to the top because..."

"...There's trouble at the research station?" the man completed, to her surprise. She nodded and he stepped forward, extending his hand. "I'm Damiano," he said as they shook hands. Once Lucy introduced each of them, the man continued. "I've been working this lift for some years now. Over the past week, two others with that same guild mark have come here for a ride up the mountain; a man, nearly my age, and a girl, closer to your own. You know them?"

"Yes," Natsu chimed in. "That's Macao Conbolt and Lisanna Strauss. The three of us came after Macao because the guild's gotten no word from him since he set out. Lisanna arrived for the same reason, only she got here first."

Damiano frowned at Natsu again. "Young man, next time you need help, try not to scream as though someone's being murdered. You damn near gave me a heart attack with that yelling."

Natsu had the grace to look abashed. "Sorry."

Damiano took a deep breath and shook his head. "Alright then, follow me." He moved toward a pair of doors that stood opposite the main entrance. Stepping through them, they were led to the tramway, a large metal cabin supported by two fixed cables. "The facility's been up there for about five years now. Their research has something to do with Gorians, which is why they set up on Stellaria, but the staff prefers not to talk about what exactly goes on there." He walked past the cabin and approached another door, stopping to rifle through his pockets. "Nothing illegal, though. It's all Council-sponsored and Baudin, the facility's director, is a nice fellow, even if he's a bit tight-lipped. I've had him over for dinner twice now and he's never given me, the family or anyone else a bad impression." He brought out a set of keys and began rifling through them. "Really surprised me when this Macao fellow showed up, though."

"Oh?" Lucy asked, rubbing her arms again to stave off the cold. "Why is that?"

Damiano looked at her and raised an eyebrow before picking out the right key and unlocking the door. "Well, I don't know much about wizard guilds, but you lot have specialties, even among combat guilds, right?" He jerked his head toward her guild mark. "If I remember right, Fairy Tail's members are best suited for genuine combat while guilds like Blue Pegasus and Quatro Cerberus prefer to work transportation security and private guarding, respectively." Natsu nodded in response. "Well, I couldn't help but wonder why a research facility would need the services of a combat mage. They've never had security problems before. Would've asked Baudin about it, but no one's come down in a couple of days."

"And that wasn't a reason to be concerned?" Lucy asked.

"Nah," he said, stepping into the room, which seemed to be the location of the generator. "They're real serious about their work up there. Some of the staff don't come down for months at a time. I only met all of them once, during a holiday party, and that was because Baudin made them take the day off." Damiano walked over to a type of mechanical device and began rifling through his keys again. "Besides, we still have radio contact with them and they haven't reported anything out of the ordinary." Finding the right key, he inserted it into the device and turned it. A low whirring began to come from it, along with the lighting up of several bulbs on the device itself. "There. The Lacrima's connected, but it'll be a second before the tram's ready to move." He looked to Lucy again. "Young lady, I hope you don't mean to be heading up there dressed like that."

Lucy was immediately aware of everyone's eyes on her and, for once, slightly uncomfortable with it. "Well, I don't really have anything else to wear."

Damiano snorted. "That's a shitty reason to risk hypothermia, miss." He stepped past them. "All of you, come with me." They filed out of the generator room, Damiano locking the door behind them, and headed back to the reception area. "Wait here," he said, returning to the room he'd first come from.

Natsu turned to her, a concerned look on his face. "Lucy, were you about to go up when you can't stand the cold down here?"

"I just..." Lucy paused, hesitant to be honest. "I figured since you two were wearing even less than I am and you didn't seem bothered, I should just go along." She pointedly refused to meet their eyes. "I didn't want to look like I couldn't handle this."

"Lucy," Natsu said, tone laced with an understanding that helped her to look up at him. He was smiling. "I'm fine with the cold because of my magic. My body temperature is higher than the human average and I can push it even further."

"And I'm an Exceed," Happy added from the floor, his expression sympathetic. "Our bodies are more resilient to lots of things, including temperature. That's one reason we're called _Exceeds_."

Natsu nodded. "See? The two of us are exceptions, but you're still human; you can't be walking around in the cold without proper clothes." His face twisted, as though he'd tasted something painfully sour. "Unless you're Gray, of course."

"Huh?" Lucy asked, slightly confused. "Who's that?"

"Oh, right," Natsu snapped his fingers. "You didn't have a chance to meet everyone. Remember the guy that ended up naked, back at the guild hall?" Doing her best not to recall images of it, she nodded. "That's Gray Fullbuster. He's an ice mage and a perverted stripper."

Happy clicked his tongue. "Natsu, come on."

Natsu rolled his eyes. "Fine. He's not really a pervert or a stripper; he's just got a tendency to undress, practically at the drop of a hat. It has to do with his training, but you're better off asking him about it; I've never understood it entirely."

"He insists that it's not his fault," Happy contributed. "Apparently, his teacher used to make her students get used to their magic by stripping down in the snow." In response to her skeptical look, he added, "It's actually a common training technique in the Icelands."

"In any case," Natsu continued, "Between his training, his magic and the fact that he was born and raised in the Icelands, Gray is essentially immune to the cold. He still feels it, but it never bothers him. He would've been great for this job, actually."

"Um, then," Lucy asked, a bit confused. "Why didn't he come with us?"

Natsu shrugged, crossing his arms. "Gramps didn't invite him and I wasn't about to ask him."

Lucy looked to the Exceed, who didn't disappoint for an explanation. "They have a rivalry going on." Happy rolled his eyes. "Fire and Ice, you know? Master probably didn't include him because Gray just got back from a tough job and he's stubborn enough to insist on coming, just to try and show up Natsu. Something these two have in common, by the way."

"Anyways," Natsu interjected, shooting a dirty look at Happy. "We don't know what the situation is. Maybe it's all good up there, maybe it's not, but we'll find out soon enough. So, it's no use wondering about whether Gray should be here or not."

Damiano came back, preventing further conversation, with a pile of clothes in hand. "Here," he said, holding it out to her. "This should fit you well enough. Go ahead and use my office for privacy." Taking it, Lucy thanked him and stepped into his office, shutting the door behind her before changing. The clothes she'd been handed were used, but clean and well-insulated: jacket, hat, gloves and pants, the last of which ended up tough to get into, but felt nice and snug once she managed it. She looked around the office, but there was no sign of a mirror in the utilitarian space. Sighing, she exited the office to find Natsu and Damiano turned away from her, conversing. She cleared her throat to gain their attention.

"So," Lucy said, as they shifted to face her. "How do I look?"

Damiano chuckled. "Not bad, miss. You've managed to make donated clothes look good."

"Wait," Lucy looked down to her borrowed outfit with uncertainty, "this stuff is donated?"

"Don't worry about it. My church collects warm items to help the homeless in winter. I've got a whole box of these clothes, donated by people who visit the station. It's not a big deal," he smiled slightly, "just try to bring it back intact."

"Thank you!" she said, nodding eagerly. "I'll do my best." Looking to Natsu, she saw that he was staring at her with an odd expression. "What is it?"

"N-Nothing," he shook his head suddenly, "let's get a move on!" he said, heading back out the door to the tramway. Happy, visibly amused, waited a bit before going after him and, after shooting each other a confused look, she and Damiano followed. Once she was outside, Lucy immediately felt the difference; though her face was still exposed to the worst of it, the cold had been almost entirely mitigated.

"Alright then, the Lacrima should be ready," Damiano said, moving over to a nearby control panel. With the pull of a level, the cabin doors opened. Natsu and Happy entered first, but as she began to follow, Damiano cleared his throat. "Young lady, watch out for them as well as yourself. It's easy to get lost in the blizzards up there and they might not be the only problem you run into."

Surprised and somewhat touched by his concern, Lucy nodded and continued into the cabin. The doors shut behind her and, once she had joined the boys in taking a seat, the cabin lurched into movement, heading steadily upwards along the cable. Looking through the windows, she kept her eyes on Damiano, still at the control panel, until he was just a vague outline far below.

As they rode in the cabin, Natsu became motion sick and had to lay down across several seats, barely capable of moving and visibly resisting the urge to vomit. Happy seemed just as unconcerned as he'd been on the train, but Lucy kept glancing at Natsu. "I'm," he paused and shuddered slightly, "alright. It's nothing I haven't been through before."

"How often do you go through this?" she asked. As a legal mage, Natsu would be no stranger to travel. Did he have to endure motion sickness just to arrive at most of his jobs?

"Far too often for comfort," he admitted, a strained smile on his lips. "About four times a month. Life as a legal mage keeps me on the move, but not all of my traveling isn't actually for work."

"Huh? But if you're vulnerable to motion sickness, why are you traveling so often?" she asked, confused.

"I'm searching," Natsu said, sitting up in one chair. He calmed himself by slowing his breathing before continuing. "How much do you know about Dragon Slayers?"

"Well," she thought back to her lessons, recalling how all of her tutors had large gaps in knowledge about the subject. "Not much, honestly. I know that they were first created before the Dragon Kings' War, that they turned the tide of the war in favor of the co-existence faction, and that almost all of them were wiped out in the Dragons' Desolation."

Natsu nodded. "For someone who doesn't know much, you sure know a lot." Lucy smiled sheepishly. "I'll fill in a few blanks for you." Curious, she sat up a bit straighter as he explained. "The Dragons were secretive and guarded their power closely; they didn't offer it to just any human. Each Slayer was individually chosen, usually by going so far as to raise infants to be ideal candidates."

"Wait," she interrupted, realizing what he was saying, "is that what happened to you?"

He chuckled. "You catch on quick. Yep, I was raised by a Fire Dragon. He taught me language, named me and trained me as a Dragon Slayer; he's my father, in every meaningful sense of the word." As Natsu stared out the window, he smiled wistfully. "Only, one day, he was gone. No explanation, no goodbye. So, I started looking for him." He turned back to her. "That's actually how I ended up at Fairy Tail and I've been with them ever since. But I've never stopped searching."

"You think he's still alive?" she asked, her tone cautious as she tried not to offend him.

"I know it's all but impossible," he confessed. "The dragons were vulnerable after the war and, between all their enemies and the leaders they lost, too many of them died for no good reason. Maybe Dad was killed long ago." Natsu reached up and clutched the scale-patterned scarf wrapped around his neck. "But I still feel him with me. And until I learn what happened, I'm not going to stop." With that resolve, he seemed to regain color in his face, but it only lasted until the cabin swayed and he laid down again. She smiled, watching with a new respect for him as he struggled against his sickness. Out of the corner of her eye, Lucy noticed that Happy was observing her again, but for once, she didn't really care.

They were nearing the other end of the tramway now, but the effects of the ascent were already felt. The cold had gotten even worse up here and they hadn't even left the cabin yet. The altitude wasn't enough for them to be terribly affected, but her ears still felt blocked from the change in air pressure. She yawned, feeling satisfied once she heard them pop.

Soon after that, the cabin lurched once before stopping entirely. Natsu was much quicker to recover now than he had been on the train. Springing to his feet, he moved over to the doors and pulled a lever on the wall. The moment they opened, frigid air, as well as a great deal of snow, rushed into the cabin. "I'll take the lead!" Natsu yelled, his voice somewhat muffled by the wind. He pointed up at a red light, flashing consistently through the blizzard. "That must be the research facility! Follow me!" He went off, stepping into the snow. Happy stuck very close to him and, as Lucy fell in line behind them, she saw why. The air around Natsu was notably hotter than it should be; he must have been warming it with magic.

She understood why Damiano had warned her about the blizzard. Visibility was low; even with Natsu right in front of her, he and Happy were barely distinct shapes through the white blur surrounding them. Temperature wasn't much better; though most of her body was kept nominally warm, her face was still exposed to the cold, even with the jacket's hood drawn up tightly over her head. Still, they pressed on through the storm, getting closer to the facility.

They had been trekking for a few minutes when she first felt like they were being observed. "Natsu!" she yelled. He turned back to her. "Do you sense anything in the storm!?" He paused, turning his head and seeming to sniff the wind.

"I smell something, but it's too weak to tell!" he yelled back in response. "Doesn't feel human, though!" He walked back over, taking her hand as well as one of Happy's in his own. "Both of you, hold on tight!" Joined in a chain, the three of them continued their progress. The facility was coming into view now and, following the metal walls, they eventually came to a sturdy-looking door. As Natsu let go of her hand to open it, Lucy heard heavy steps moving behind her. She turned back suddenly, but saw nothing through the snow. "Damn!" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him struggle with the knob. "It won't budge!" She saw something now, through the white blur; a humanoid form, much larger than that of a man.

"Natsu!" she yelled, but it was already acting. Jumping toward Lucy, it reached out for her with a hand thicker than her torso, its fingers grazing her as she dove aside. Before it could try again, Natsu moved, lashing out with a fist covered in flames. It took his blow and ignored it, putting its hands together to swing at him, forcing Natsu to back up against the facility walls. As she reached in her pouch for Taurus, it attacked again, slamming its own fist at Natsu's head and barely missing its mark when he ducked. Lucy brought out the key just as it leaped away, disappearing back into the snowstorm.

"What the heck was that thing!?" Natsu asked, picking himself up from the snow.

Breathing deeply to slow her frantic heartbeat, Lucy heard Happy reply, "I think it was a Gorian!" Turning away from where it had vanished, she saw that its' blow had damaged the facility's metal door. Though the dent was not too deep, it was enough for her to see the room within. "Oh, merciful gods…" she said, her voice barely heard over the storm.

As the snow on his body melted rapidly, Natsu sniffed the air again. Moving to the door, he managed to wrench it open. The inside of the door had finger-thin red streaks on it, especially around the knob. Natsu rushed in, but Happy and Lucy hesitated before following. The room within was in no way better. The sight had become worse, with dried red stains all over the floor and walls and even the ceiling, but the smell of blood was unmistakable. The door on the opposite side had been torn off its hinges from deeper within the facility, taking some of the frame with it. Natsu stood in the center, looking at it all.

"Something fought its way _out,_ " she began. Her voice was unsteady, but audible now that they were away from the winds. "But it didn't break down the outermost door."

"No," Natsu agreed, his voice tight with anger. "The door was barred from the inside. Whatever did this wanted to stop anyone from coming _in_." His hands were clenched into fists. "What happened here!?"

"I can tell you!" a voice yelled back from outside. Natsu ran back to the door, but Lucy stopped him with an outstretched hand.

"Wh-Who are you!?"

"I worked with the research staff here!" it answered. "The survivors are hiding in a cave! I can take you to them! Just don't attack me!"

Natsu and Lucy shared a look. "Why would we attack you!?" he asked.

She heard the crunching of snow. They readied themselves, Natsu with a burning hand and she with Taurus' key, as something approached.

"Because I'm one of them," the Gorian said, as it ducked through the door and entered the room.


	6. Chapter 5: Mountaintop Tussle, Part 2

**Lucy, Stellaria Mountains, July 7, 784**

It looked like a monochromatic primate, but the Gorian before her had the distinctive traits of its kind: an elongated chin, prolonged ears and a pointed head that resembled a horn. Its torso was much wider than a man's, but its arms were downright enormous, with thick hands at the end and a pattern of fur, five black circular tufts on each, that was unique to its species. The legs were smaller, but only slightly, and its long cord of a tail was visible between them. To top the surreal encounter, it wore ragged pants.

It towered over all of them, even slouched, but it held its hands up in a show of non-aggression. "I'm not with the one that attacked you. A lookout noticed that the lift was moving, so I went to see who came." As it walked towards them, flames suddenly cloaked Natsu's hand. "Please," the Gorian stepped back, "you have to get help. We have injured people and…" it paused, eyes widening, "Wait!" Lucy gripped Taurus' key tightly, "that mark! There are two humans on this mountain with it! Do you know them!?"

Natsu's flames went out. "Are they alright?" he asked, his voice still harsh with anger.

"Yes," the Gorian nodded frantically, "they're both still alive, but the male is being held by the Gorians that did this," it gestured at the devastated room. "The female is with us, though."

Natsu breathed slowly, calming down, but Lucy was suspicious of the Gorian. "What are their names?" she asked, trying not to sound as nervous as she was.

"Macao and Lisanna," it answered immediately, "I don't often meet new people, so I made sure to learn their names." It placed a hand against its chest. "My name is Ian. I'd ask for yours, but we don't have much time." It looked back outside. "The one that attacked you was just a scout. More will come soon." It walked backwards towards the door, still facing them. "If you want your friends as well as answers, you need to follow me _right now_." _A named Gorian? And it seems sapient… What's going on up here?_

"Lucy," Natsu watched the Gorian carefully, "what do you think? Should we trust it?"

"I don't know," she still had Taurus' key, though it wasn't being held up anymore, "It might be lying. Maybe it's an enemy. It could've gotten their names if they were both captured."

"I'm not lying!" it yelled, sounding upset. Natsu moved into a stance. "Sorry. But I'm not. We _really_ don't have time for this."

"Happy?" Natsu asked as the Exceed stared at the Gorian with those unnerving eyes.

After a moment, Happy spoke. "I say we go with it."

Natsu nodded, still visibly wary. "It's decided, then. Lead the way."

It sighed, seeming disappointed, but headed through the door. The three of them followed him outside, where the blizzard was in full force, turning the Gorian into a towering blur standing a few feet away. "Stay close, low and quiet. We might cross paths with them, but they can't see any better than we can and they'll think I'm one of theirs." It set off and, after a moment's hesitation, so did they.

At least the boys were thinking. Natsu took up the rear; as the best fighter, he'd watch out for threats. Happy was in front of her, the smallest and fastest target keeping closest to the Gorian. Even with Taurus' key in hand, she'd need a second to summon him. Still, their footsteps seemed too loud to her, giving them away with every soft crunch of snow, even though the rushing wind was almost deafening. They were heading away from the tram and, looking back, she could barely see the facility anymore.

They hadn't been walking for a minute before it stopped. Lucy tensed, preparing to invoke Taurus, and she felt Natsu behind her, just as ready to react. It silently pointed forward before adjusting its direction. Looking past it, she saw another blur, larger than that of the Gorian, in the distance. Suddenly, her heart seemed to be beating much faster. She breathed slowly, feeling the fear set in.

As she took another step, she felt a hand touch her shoulder. Bristling, all that kept her from panicking was its human size. Turning, she saw Natsu, pointing towards the blur. She looked at him, confused, and he touched his nose in silent explanation: he could smell them coming. Lucy nodded, trying not to think about whether the Gorians had senses as developed as Natsu's.

Through the storm, Lucy briefly saw several blurs, no less than a dozen, all converging on the facility. They only managed to get a few more meters away before a bestial roar reached them over the winds. "Oh dear," the Gorian leading them looked back, muttering. "He's here."

"Who?" Lucy's voice was just loud enough to carry through the noise.

"Later," the Gorian sped up slightly. "We need to go. Don't run unless they spot you."

They picked up the pace, but the blurs came back into sight, steadily seeming to get closer. Lucy resisted the urge to start sprinting, staying in line as they approached the mountaintop's edge, where a path leading down was barely visible. The Gorian motioned for them to go first before turning around to look at the blurs. Here, the snow was so thick that it reached up to her knees, slowing her down considerably. But, with just a bit more effort, the three of them pushed through and managed to descend out of sight. The Gorian lingered at the top just long enough for Lucy to think that it was about to betray them before following them down.

"Needed to make sure we weren't being pursued," it explained before moving to take the lead again. They headed along the path, struggling to make progress. But the hindrance of the snow slowed them to a crawl. After a minute, the Gorian spoke up. "We can be there much faster if you let me carry you."

The boys shared a look before Natsu replied. "I can have Happy fly me there, thanks. I'm not great with being carried. Lucy, are you up for it?"

She stared at the Gorian's thick hands again. Though she was reluctant to let it touch her, it seemed like the best way to move forward. Unlike them, the Gorian was barely encumbered by the snow. This was its natural element, after all. _And we're short on time… Wait a second… Time!_ She stored Taurus's key and brought out one of her silvers. "Open, Gate of the Clock," she invoked quietly. Just a moment later, a tall brown grandfather clock with long, black arms appeared in the snow before her. "Horologium," she greeted the Spirit, who bowed in response. "I need a ride." The Spirit nodded eagerly. "Excellent."

Her companions seemed a bit awed at Horologium's appearance. Even the Gorian watched, curious, as the glass case in the Spirit's chest opened and she stepped into the space, large enough for one person to fit comfortably. "Alright, let's do this," she said, before the case closed and she was secure within.

The Gorian's fingers wrapped around Horologium, its grip so firm that she felt the Spirit's wooden body creak slightly. _OK, that's a bit scary. One of the Clock's attributes is an immense defense and this thing is strong enough to strain the walls._ She still had a chance to change her mind. The case was sound-proof, but Horologium would repeat whatever she said. _No. I can do this! Just don't think about the odds of being crushed to death by a monster…_ She stopped that train of thought before it could go any further.

Through the section of glass that wasn't covered by the Gorian's fingers, she saw that Happy had taken to the air, Natsu in his paws. A moment later, she felt Horologium be lifted as the Gorian began running. The Spirit's magic helped keep her from feeling dizzy, even when she was held parallel to the ground, but she closed her eyes anyways, allowing herself to simply sway in the slightly warmer darkness.

Due to Horologium's affinity with time, she knew exactly how long the journey took until the Gorian put the case down and she was able to exit. _Seventeen minutes and eight seconds. Not bad._ Turning around, she thanked her Spirit, who patted her on the head affectionately, before sending him back to his world.

"Geez," Natsu was being set down by Happy just a few feet away. "Is there a Spirit for every occasion?"

"Pretty much," she said, nodding as she noticed their surroundings. They'd come to the mouth of a cave, where they were somewhat sheltered from the blizzard still raging outside. It seemed to have once been the den of an entire Gorian pack; white fur was strewn over the ground and alcoves dotted the walls, formed roughly as though they had been punched out of the stone. Near the back, she saw an opening, barely large enough for the monsters to duck through properly, leading somewhere unseen.

"This way," the Gorian said, heading for the tunnel. Retaking their positions from the summit, they followed the monster deeper into the mountain, through what turned out to be an entire cave system. After the first few turns, Natsu held a flame aloft to replace the natural light they'd left far behind. But the Gorian didn't seem to need it, immediately choosing a path whenever it reached an intersection. Lucy made sure to keep track of where they were going, in case they needed to make a quick escape, quietly reaching into her pouch for Taurus's key as well. _We could still be walking into a trap._

Eventually, they exited into a cavern that was utterly empty and had no other exits. The Gorian did not slow down, walking over to the far wall where huge rocks had been piled up. Waiting to see what was about to happen, she stayed beyond the monster's reach. After taking a moment to look back at them, the Gorian started carefully removing boulders from the pile, revealing a gap on the other side that soon widened enough for all of them to move through. Once it was done, the Gorian poked its head through the hole. "I'm back," its tone was actually a bit cheerful, despite the situation. "And I've brought allies." It turned back to them. "You three go ahead. I need to put the pile together again." _Here we go…_

Lucy followed Happy as he entered first, both of them staying alert for sudden moves from the Gorian. She relaxed slightly at the sight of other humans, but tensed right back up as she noticed their condition. Several were injured, some so severely that they couldn't lean up from the floor to see the newcomers. Even those that appeared to be unharmed seemed listless and sluggish, with dark bags under their eyes. There were over a dozen people in sight, but only one approached them, a woman around Lucy's age that quickly received a leaping hug from Happy. "I should've known Master would send you!" she said.

As the Exceed finished the embrace, Lucy got her first look at Lisanna Strauss. A petite girl, her hair was white like her siblings, but she resembled her sister far more than her brother. Her clothes were similar to Lucy's, suited for the cold, only she lacked the jacket. Bandages were wrapped around her left arm, her sleeve rolled up to accommodate them, which left the red guild mark on her shoulder exposed.

Finally noticing Lucy, Lisanna walked up to her, seeming confused at her presence. "Um, hello there."

"This is Lucy," Happy spoke up. "She's a brand new member of the guild. Natsu and I recruited her."

As though he'd been summoned by the mention of his name, Natsu had just entered the cave as well. He paused at the sight of Lisanna, who also went still as an indescribable tension suddenly manifested. Happy, carefully watching them, seemed to understand what was happening, but Lucy was left clueless.

"You're hurt," Natsu said, jerking his head at the bandages. She nodded. "Gorians?" She nodded again. Closing his eyes, he took a slow, deep breath before opening them. "What happened here, Lisanna?"

"It's better you hear it from the source," she said, turning away from the three of them and heading for an opening on the far wall. After a moment, Natsu went after her, followed by Happy and Lucy. _I guess their solution is to focus on the mission. Still, what is going on with them? Makarov said they used to be best friends and that it got 'complicated' between them. But that's so vague, it's almost meaningless._

They passed into another room, where several Gorians, all heavily bandaged, appeared to be sleeping. The people here were huddled together, talking at low volumes around a pile of mostly empty boxes. That group seemed uninjured, though the man that approached them did so with a limp. "Greetings," his voice was lightly accented by something foreign to Fiore. "By the mark on your shoulder, young man, you three are associates of Ms. Strauss and Mr. Conbolt, yes?" They nodded. "I am Dr. Henri Baudin, director and head researcher of the facility. I'm sure you have questions, but please, shall we step out?" He looked to the resting monsters with a compassionate expression. "I'd rather not interrupt them."

Once they were back in the main area, she saw that Ian the Gorian had finished piling the rocks back up and was currently talking with a badly injured woman. It looked like he was trying to lift her spirits and, by the smile that suddenly came on her face, he seemed to be succeeding. Once he noticed their return, he said goodbye and walked over to them. "Dr. Baudin, I think Anne could really use some more water."

Baudin looked over at the injured woman and sighed, nodding. "Go ahead and give her some, Ian." As the Gorian left, he turned back to them. "We've been stuck in this cave for almost a week. Between that and our injured, we're running very low on supplies. If you three hadn't shown up…" he trailed off.

"Dr. Baudin," Lucy said, taking the initiative since the others still seemed wrapped up in their own issues, "what happened? Why are you hiding here and where is Macao Conbolt?"

The doctor limped over to the nearby wall, leaning against it to slide down onto the floor. "Please, sit. My leg can no longer bear my weight and it is painful to stand for too long." The four of them joined him on the ground "Ms. Strauss, I'm sorry." Lisanna seemed surprised. "We did not tell you the full details of our work. My team believed that it was best to keep our secrets, if at all possible. But the situation has become too dire for that." Baudin wiped sweat from his brow with a sleeve before asking a question to the entire group. "How much do any of you know about Gorians?"

"Just that they're big monsters and that they like to mess with travelers," Natsu said, shrugging.

"They're classified as pseudo-sapient magical beings," Happy added. "They're capable of speaking, but their words don't mean anything; it's just chatter, parroted back whenever they hear it spoken."

"Gorians are among the few creatures that Take-Over magic doesn't work on," Lisanna contributed.

"Only what I read in a bestiary years ago," Lucy admitted, before repeating some of what she recalled.

Baudin seemed a bit impressed with her. "You know more than most laypeople do. But, by any chance, what have you heard, if anything, about their origins? About the entire species of monster, I mean?"

Lucy shook her head. "The bestiary said that there was no scientific consensus yet. There were theories, but little research was ever done on them. There were too many ethical concerns…" Her eyes widened as an appalling possibility crossed her mind. "You didn't actually…!?"

"No," he said, his tone firm and his face grave. " _We_ didn't. But someone else, I don't know who, did and their research made its way into the Council's possession. Through that knowledge, my team figured out how the Gorians came to be." He paused, breathing deep before adding, "It's worse than you think."

Despite the relative warmth of the cave and her well-insulated clothing, Lucy felt a chill run through her.

"Uh, excuse me," Happy raised a paw. "How can it be 'worse than she thinks'? What did you find out?"

Baudin rubbed his face, apparently trying to make himself more alert. "Sorry. I haven't slept properly since this disaster began." After wiping his brow of sweat again, he continued. "The leading theory was that Gorians were related to Humans. We confirmed that they _are_ , but not quite the way we thought."

"What do you mean?" Natsu asked, a puzzled look on his face. "Either they are or they're not, right?"

Rather than answering, the doctor turned to Lisanna. "Ms. Strauss, you use Take-Over Magic, yes?"

"Uh, yeah," she said, seeming confused at being singled out. "My specific style is Animal Soul."

"Then, I presume you know what it means to be 'Overtaken'?"

Her expression was darkened by an unclear emotion. _Is that remorse? Fear? Sorrow? I can't tell._ "Yeah," she said, fidgeting slightly, her tone actually sounding vulnerable. "I know exactly what it means."

To Lucy's surprise, Lisanna was not the only one that reacted to the word. Natsu's hands were clenched into fists, his face set in a scowl. His eyes downcast, Happy reached out to take Lisanna's hand in a paw.

The doctor noticed as well. "I can guess why the three of you are so intimately familiar with the term." His own expression was sympathetic and he hesitated before asking his question. "Who did you lose?"

Lisanna's answer was brief, but immediate. "My uncle." _Oh, gods. Is that why their friendship fell apart?_

"I'm sorry," Baudin said, genuinely seeming apologetic, "both for your loss and for reminding you of it. But I did not ask that question lightly. It's relevant to the matter at hand." The three of them shook off their negative emotions, focusing on the doctor. "Usually, when a human is Overtaken by another's soul, the resulting creature is monstrous, even in the scientific sense. As aberrances of nature, Overtaken are infertile and often so magically unstable that they cannot survive, even in captivity, for very long."

 _Usually? He doesn't mean…_ "Wait," Lisanna interrupted, the horror dawning on her face suggesting that she'd come to the same conclusion as Lucy. "Are you saying…!?"

"Yes," Baudin nodded, his expression solemn. "The Gorian species is actually an offshoot of Humanity. Our hypothesis is that, long ago, a wizard used Take-Over on an unknown, possibly magical, primate and was Overtaken as a result. Only, unlike every other known Overtaken, the resulting creature managed to reproduce in enough numbers to maintain a sustainable population and even branch into subspecies."

"But," Lisanna didn't seem to be taking the revelation well, "how is that possible!? The soul merging is dangerous enough, but add the fusion of bodies and that Overtaken can't have been healthy at all!"

"We don't know," Baudin admitted. "Like I said, it's a hypothesis; we don't have the evidence to be sure. But, as for how it reproduced…," the doctor paused, his expression turning sickened, before continuing. "Gorian behavior regarding human females is rather infamous, isn't it…"

"Oh, gods…"Lucy said, feeling ready to vomit and Lisanna appeared to be right there with her.

"What?" Natsu hadn't yet caught on, but he seemed worried, especially when no one answered.

Baudin turned to him. "Young man, have you ever witnessed how Gorians react when they come across any woman, regardless of age or health?" Natsu shook his head slowly. "Almost always, they become infatuated and attempt to kidnap her. If it succeeds in bringing her to its den, then it often tries to…"

Baudin did not need to say more; Natsu had figured it out. "That's…," his voice was tight with rage.

"…disgusting?" Baudin offered. "Atrocious? Whatever word you apply to it, that's the way Gorians are. Or rather, that's the way Gorians _used_ to be." At their puzzled looks, he elaborated. "Our hypothesis is that those instincts are a holdover from their earliest days, when they were too few to truly reproduce. In fact, when we compared their modern behavior to accounts of ancient Gorians, we found clear signs that their interbreeding tendencies have severely diminished over time. These days, it's not uncommon to hear of a Gorian not actually attempting _that_ with female prisoners." The doctor sighed. "Nature may be fond of being so casually repulsive, but it also occasionally reins in the worst of its excesses."

There was a silence after that, in which no one really knew what to say. Eventually, Happy spoke up. "Doctor, as _interesting_ as that information may be, what does it have to do with the current situation?"

Baudin carefully adjusted his damaged leg before replying. "The Council established a facility on Stellaria _because_ of its Gorian population. My team was investigating which response to our discovery was best: do we try to reverse the Overtaking and turn Gorians back into humans or do we try to civilize them into another sapient species? Whichever choice was more successful, the Council would react accordingly. However, if my team failed to accomplish either option, they would only hide the truth from the public."

"But that…,"Happy was visibly unsettled by the confession. "You'd keep hunting them like monsters?"

"I recognize that the subject of non-human intelligence would be delicate for an Exceed, but you have to understand. If there was truly nothing we could do about them, Gorians wouldn't stop being a problem. They'd still be around, plaguing travelers and small settlements. The only path left to us would be to exterminate them and, if that was going to happen, we wanted to avoid complicating the situation with uncomfortable, yet unavoidable, truths." The doctor seemed both ashamed and certain of his position.

Lisanna took Happy's paw in her hand, giving him a gentle squeeze of support. _Her turn to comfort him._

"Fortunately, it didn't come to that," Baudin continued. "Though we found no way to reverse the fusion, not without killing the subject, we _did_ have success in civilizing them. With a combination of innovative magic-based procedures and a rigorous education program, we managed to raise several of them with human-level intelligence. And, as best as we can tell, they'll pass on the modifications to their progeny." He looked at the opening to the area where the injured Gorians slept. "However, we made a mistake."

Baudin's expression shifted, his eyes haunted by a feeling familiar to Lucy. _Failure._ "We did not account for some of the Gorians deciding that they were unhappy with their position. How could we? They were treated well; no cruel experimentation or anything like that to motivate hostility. But it still happened."

"Then, what we saw in the facility…" Lucy had pieced it together. "The Gorians rebelled against you."

"Not exactly. Caesar, perhaps the brightest and most ambitious of our group, was more… _insidious_ than to simply use violence. Even as more of them became vocal about their discontent, he was quiet. But, from what Ian's told me, I've come to believe that, out of everyone, he felt the most negativity about their situation. He roused several packs of Stellaria Gorians, provoking them into harassing the facility. His goal was to force us to contract a guild wizard and he manipulated us into doing precisely that."

"So, when Macao responded to your mission and came to the facility…" Natsu began.

"…Caesar was ready to move," Baudin finished. "He led the uprising, overwhelming our security forces before trying to kill everyone else. He came for me first," the doctor's hand went to his injured leg, "and would've torn me apart, if not for Mr. Conbolt. The last I saw of him, he was fighting Caesar alone."

"Is that why the Gorians in the other room are so badly injured?" Happy asked.

"Yes," Baudin nodded. "Those are the ones that didn't side with Caesar. They bought us enough time to escape the facility and, after the initial revolt, recovered supplies so that we could hide out here. Ian's the only one that's mostly uninjured, even though he's been in the thick of this since the beginning."

"Huh?" Ian walked over, holding a canteen that he was carefully screwing shut. "You called for me?"

"No, Ian," the doctor smiled tiredly, yet affectionately, at him. "But you can stay and listen, if you like."

The Gorian seemed to consider it before shaking his head. "I think the others could still use some help. Thanks, though." He walked off again, now approaching another injured person and talking to them.

Baudin watched Ian go. "He never stops trying to help. Even after he found out the truth about Gorians, he's always held onto that kind heart." The doctor closed his eyes, chuckling once. "Ian's a better person than most humans I've met in over fifty years of living." He opened his eyes, frowning. "Many wouldn't think twice about killing him because of what he is. I doubt he'll live to see a world that accepts him."

Lucy turned and saw that the Gorian was already helping one of the injured drink from the canteen. _And I've been thinking of him as just another monster._ The realization made her feel ashamed of herself.

"Doc," Natsu spoke up, "there's one thing I'm not getting. If Caesar and his Gorians already rebelled against you, why haven't they left? Do they think they can hold off whoever comes to the facility?"

"No," Baudin shook his head, "Caesar knows that, eventually, the Council would send someone to check. He's still here because he has a goal in mind. And I have a pretty good idea as to what he's after."

"Everyone that survived?" Natsu suggested. "Or your research, so he can make more smart Gorians?"

"Oh, he certainly wants both of those things. But that's not his main objective." Baudin adjusted his leg. "I think he's trying to Takeover Mr. Conbolt." Lisanna gasped as Natsu's expression turned angry again. "Why else would he wait until a guild wizard came before revolting? I believe that, for the past few days, he's been going through our research in search of a way to fuse with a powerful human magician. Whether it's part of a plan or a personal issue for him, I have no idea. But it's the only explanation for why he hasn't been so determined to find us or to leave. Until Ms. Strauss arrived, there was barely anyone searching for us. If I had to guess, he's also focused on wearing down Mr. Conbolt's resistance."

Natsu nodded, rising to his feet. "Alright." He started walking to the entrance, having heard enough.

"Young man!?" the doctor seemed distressed. "Where are you going?"

"I'm getting Macao and killing some monsters," Natsu replied, starting to remove the rocks in his way. "I'll be back soon."

"Natsu," Happy said, calm even as his partner turned around. "If you just charge in there without a plan, you'll get yourself _and_ Macao killed." The Slayer was visibly upset, his hands clenched into fists again. "We need to be smart about this, if we want everyone to survive." The Exceed turned back to Baudin. "Doctor, do you have an idea of where Macao is being held?" He nodded. "Are your people capable of making a run for the lift?" He frowned at that. "It doesn't need to be all of them," Happy added quickly, "just enough to make it seem like you're escaping. They can't know precisely how many are still alive."

The doctor seemed uncertain, but he nodded again. "I think so. But what are you planning, exactly?"

"I've been working on this as you explained the situation to us," Happy explained. "It's straight-forward. Some of us cover your people while you head for the lift. That'll be a distraction so the rest of us can go to the facility and recover Macao. Once he's safe, we'll regroup and handle whoever's left. But, before we decide who takes which task, I need to know something: how many of them are there right now?"

"The original pack was fifty, but Caesar convinced thirty to stand with him. Many died, on both sides, during the revolt. If I had to give an estimate…" the doctor closed his eyes for a moment, "there's about twenty of them left. Some might be not in fighting shape, but even an injured Gorian isn't a pushover."

"Maybe to you," Happy seemed thoughtful, "but we're from Fairy Tail, one of the best combat guilds in all of Fiore. And that hothead over there," Natsu exclaimed in protest, "is among our strongest fighters." He looked to Lucy. "Can you summon a good Spirit, move away from them and summon another one?"

"Yeah," she said, trying not to be overconfident. "It's not something I'm used to, but I know I can do it!"

"Excellent," Happy said, clapping his paws together once. "Then it's decided. Natsu and one Spirit stay with the survivors while Lucy, Lisanna and I get Macao." He looked around at everyone. "Sounds good?"

Baudin still seemed skeptical. "I know you're all supposed to be rather powerful, but this is very risky."

"Anything we do is risky, Doctor," Ian said, walking closer to them. _He must've noticed when Natsu rose._ "But we don't have an alternative." He stood over their group, but she didn't feel threatened, for once. "I'll go with the survivors; I'm the only Gorian that's healthy enough to do it." Baudin opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Ian placed a hand on his shoulder and continued. "Father," the doctor shut his mouth again, stunned into silence "I know you're afraid. I am too," the Gorian admitted. "We're not used to violence and this entire situation is straight out of our nightmares. But these people are, and they're our best hope of getting everyone still alive to safety. I need you to trust them, and me. OK?"

Baudin slowly recovered, his lips forming a smile. "How did you grow up so quickly?" Ian smiled back and there was a moment of silence as the two seemed to reach an understanding. _Is this what it's like to have a loving parent? I'd almost forgotten…_ By the looks of it, the others seemed just as wistful as her.

The doctor nodded. "Alright then. I'll start getting the others ready. We'll move out once you say so." With the Gorian's assistance, he rose from the floor and limped back to the other area.

Ian watched him go before turning back to Happy. The towering Gorian actually seemed nervous around the little Exceed. "So, when do we begin?"


	7. Chapter 6: Mountaintop Tussle, Part 3

Stellaria's lights were even more beautiful than she'd expected.

With the worst of the blizzard past, the sky was peaceful enough to let her see clearly. Even from so far below, it felt like she could touch them, if she just reached out and tried. _But this isn't the time for that._

Nearby, Lisanna had laid down in the snow. "It doesn't seem like any of them saw us. Now, we wait."

The two of them fell back into silence, motivated by both stealth and awkwardness. In a sense, it was good that they'd been sent to do this. It kept them from addressing the elephant in the room. _Or rather, the Dragon Slayer in the room._ Lisanna was nice enough, and she didn't seem to mind Lucy's presence. Nonetheless, there was an indescribable tension between them and, for the time being, neither seemed ready to address it. Though, once this mission was over, they'd probably need to have a talk. _We'll cross that bridge when we need to._

Fortunately, it wasn't too long a wait. Once Happy was visible, waving from the mouth of the facility's maintenance entrance, she reached for Taurus' key and brought it up to her face. "Happy says it's clear. Go," she whispered to it, which glowed faintly before dimming again. Now, they needed to do their part.

The two of them rose from cover, entering a nearby valley to head toward Happy. Exposed as they were, anyone looking could've easily spotted them. So, they moved as fast as the deep snow allowed, reaching the entrance just as the first bursts of flame could be seen from the nearby summit of the actual facility.

"Natsu's started. So have Taurus and Ian." Lucy tried to keep worry out of her tone. "No problems yet."

"They'll be alright." Happy seemed only slightly more concerned than he'd been on the train and lift. "It's much more likely that something'll go wrong on our end. And none of us are great fighters, either."

"Way to boost my confidence," Lucy muttered.

"Don't mind him. He's always doing this on tougher missions," Lisanna stuck her tongue out at Happy, who copied the gesture. They stayed like that for a moment, before giving up and smiling at each other. _At least those two are having a good time._

"OK, OK. Enough messing around," Happy turned and began walking down the tunnel. "Let's go."

They followed the Exceed, heading further into what turned out to be a cave system similar to the one they'd left recently. Only, this one had clearly been carved out, with walls too smooth to be natural and a straightforward route that, despite having several diverging paths on either side, led to a metal hatch that looked sturdy enough to keep out at least a few angry Gorians.

"Here we are." Happy stood before the hatch, turning to face them. "You two remember the route?"

She and Lisanna both nodded. Baudin had gone so far as to draw the exact layout of the facility, though he made sure to focus on the lowest levels, where Macao was most likely being kept.

"Great. If it goes well, we might manage to get Macao out before they notice." Lisanna stepped forward, removing her jacket with a brief wince before grabbing a large handwheel on the hatch.

"Animal Soul," she said, her exposed arms rapidly thickening with muscle and hair, "Gorilla!"

With transformed limbs, turning the handwheel seemed almost effortless. Once the hatch was opened, she released both the handwheel and her spell, bringing her arms back to normal. Lisanna didn't waste any time putting the jacket back on, having already started shivering without its protection. "There it is."

"Nice work." The Exceed looked up at Lisanna as she finished with her jacket. "How's the arm?"

"I'm fine," she insisted. "It's just a scratch, really. I can keep going."

Happy didn't seem convinced by that, but he dropped the matter, stepping up to be first past the hatch. Waving them forward, he led them through a maintenance passage, well-lit yet considerably cramped. Despite the physical impossibility of a Gorian fitting in here, she reached in her pouch for Cancer's Key, touching the cold metal to steady her nerves. _Just stay calm, Lucy. Don't lose sight of your surroundings._

After a short walk, they entered a much more spacious area. This was the research facility's lowest level, where its foundations were set up. A mess of technology and devices, most even larger than a Gorian, filled most of the floor and walls, serving inscrutable purposes. The only aspects she could discern were the numerous Lacrima orbs, encased in harnesses that channeled their magic to fuel the entire facility.

"All right," Happy whispered. "Seems this place isn't being guarded. Let's move on."

By way of a metal staircase, they headed up to another hatch with a handwheel. As Lisanna moved to remove her jacket again, Lucy spoke up. "Let's do this one together." She got weird looks from both _Fairy Tail_ members. _Don't think like that! You're a member too._ "If we're in for a fight, you should have as much strength as you can. No reason to keep using your magic on doors if I'm right here, right?"

After a moment's pause, Lisanna smiled. "You make a good point."

With that, she made room for Lucy to grab the handwheel too. Between the two of them, turning it was an almost effortless action. "Yeah!" Lucy cheered quietly, raising an arm, palm open and facing Lisanna, who promptly completed the high-five. "Teamwork!"

Happy looked up at them, a slight smile on his lips as he shook his head. "Don't celebrate yet."

They proceeded through another hallway, this one large enough for a Gorian to fit within comfortably. At the end, there was finally an actual door, with an actual knob too, only this had dents that had almost bent the whole thing in on itself. Once they stood before it, no one seemed eager to take the first step.

"I got this," Lisanna said, visibly apprehensive as she approached the door and reached for the knob. Lucy ventured into her key pouch and extracted Cancer's Key as, with one careful pull, Lisanna opened the door, revealing that its opposite side was stained with dried blood. The smell was mercifully absent, but the resulting creak was surprisingly loud and lingered so long that she felt sure it had been noticed.

But nothing came to stop them as they stepped into the next room, where even more bloodstains could be found on almost every surface they looked on: the walls, the floor, the furniture, even the ceiling.

"Baudin mentioned that the security staff confronted several Gorians down here," Happy said, taking in as much of the scene as possible in the sparse light. "The blood must belong to both sides, then."

"I still don't understand it." She couldn't imagine what it'd been like when the Gorians rebelled. "Why?" The others looked back at her as she tried to find the right words. "Baudin said they were treated fairly. Why would the Gorians betray and kill the people that gave them a chance to be more than monsters?"

"It's not that straightforward." Now, the humans stared at the Exceed. "This is still an atrocity. Even if Baudin hasn't told us the whole truth, Caesar's group is definitely in the wrong here. But I don't think you can really know what it's like, having someone else weighing the worth of your people's existence."

Lisanna walked over to him, her expression sympathetic. "You know that Gorians aren't like Exceed."

Happy nodded, frowning. "But we're similar enough that I can see where they're coming from, even without condoning what they did." He sighed gently. "I'll try to explain later. For now, we have to go."

A door on the opposite wall led them to a long corridor, which they traversed as cautiously as possible. Here, signs of struggle had become much more overt: bloodstains had become numerous, many doors had been torn from their hinges and there were few windows left intact. As they passed each room, they stopped to check whether Macao was being held within. But every single one was either spacious chambers, equipped with furniture suitable for several Gorians, or archives, with cabinets gutted and documents scattered like leaves in the fall. There were no traces of Macao, the dead or any Gorians.

 _Where are the bodies?_ Even though everything she'd seen so far was frightening, that one question kept coming back with each bloodstain Lucy noticed, all possible answers adding to her dread.

They reached the end of the corridor, where a staircase took them up a level and to another corridor, almost identical to the one below. But, before they rounded the corner to this one, Happy lifted a paw. They stood completely still as he quietly sniffed the air. Lucy felt her heartbeat quicken as she waited, and the words he whispered only caused it to go even faster.

"Gorians ahead. Just one in the hallway, but at least six more in a room. There's a weird scent in the air." He sniffed carefully, turning to face them. "Macao's on this floor, sixth door on the left. Are you ready?"

Despite her apprehension, she nodded along with Lisanna. Happy then removed his backpack, handing it to Lisanna, who had again cast off her jacket as quietly as possible, and went down to his front paws. The structure of his face and body still gave him away, but to unfamiliar eyes, he suddenly seemed almost indistinguishable to a normal cat. He looked up at them, a mixture of fear and determination in his expression, before turning the corner and exposing himself.

The plan was simple. There was no way to approach without being spotted, and the Gorians had proven murderously hostile against humans. A cat, however, had a chance of not being immediately attacked. Before their groups headed out, Baudin had admitted that their Gorian pack had limited knowledge of other sentient beings and little, but mostly positive, experience with ordinary animals. And Happy, now laying down and licking himself in the middle of the hallway, certainly looked like an everyday housecat.

Lucy and Lisanna had taken up their positions against the wall, ready to act once the signal was given. She had to wait until then, holding back her anxiety as she watched Happy. Lucy knew she couldn't have left herself so vulnerable, unarmed and technically _naked_ against a powerful enemy, relying on allies to interfere before she was killed. That the Exceed managed to trust them like that was truly impressive. _Now, we just have to not screw it up!_ Her hand had gotten sweaty, but its grip on Cancer's key was firm.

She heard the heavy footsteps come from the end of the corridor, making their way closer. _Come on…_

Happy kept up the act for longer than she'd expected. It was almost a surprise when he finally meowed.

In that moment, they all acted. She and Lisanna turned the corner, immediately coming face-to-face with a surprised Gorian that was already moving to attack. Lisanna rushed forward, her uninjured arm transforming to land an interceptive strike, while she dashed past them, Happy keeping close behind. They left Lisanna to face her opponent, hearing the Gorian roar as they sprinted down the corridor, making a beeline for the sixth door on the left. As they approached it, there was a roar in response as another door behind them was suddenly ripped free of its frame, slamming into the opposite wall with such force that she actually stumbled from the sheer intensity of the sound. Had they been a bit slower, it would've hit her dead-on, crushing her instantly. _Happy might've been fine, though._ The thought came inexplicably and unbidden, but she could've laughed, had she not needed all her breath to keep running.

They reached their goal just as a new set of heavy steps entered the corridor. Quickly opening the door, she turned to face another Gorian, this one hesitating only for an instant before following them and leaving his comrade alone against Lisanna, who had transformed more of her body and seemed to be doing well enough in her fight. Her own spell was already starting, the Magic Seal opening before her as the Gorian closed the distance. She leapt back, dodging the frantic punch as the summoning finished and Cancer appeared, scissors already out as he evaded another blow. As he and the Gorian engaged, she turned back and went through the open door, stunned into stopping as she saw inside the room.

It had to have been some kind of office, retrofitted into a prison. Furniture had been pushed carelessly into the corners and documents carpeted the floor, while thick chains that practically _looked_ heavy went from where they'd been nailed to the walls and ended around the figure of a man. His feet, bare and each missing a toe, didn't touch the floor, leaving him suspended and bearing all of his physical weight on his arms, which had been stretched as far to the sides as possible. His naked chest, more bloody than his limbs, was a tapestry of bruises, the various colors suggesting different ages and stages of healing. The only article of clothing he'd been permitted were his pants, ragged and stained from imprisonment. His face was, surprisingly, unharmed, allowing her to see that the man was actually somewhat attractive while also not much younger than her own father. But that awkward blend of thoughts vanished once she noticed Happy in the air before her. The Exceed's body was shaking, his wings and claws extended.

"Macao…" he said, his voice heavy with sorrow and anger as he stared at his unconscious friend. When he turned to face Lucy, she saw another of his emotions: desperation. "I can't break those chains."

She looked back to the corridor, processing the battles. Lisanna was in the middle of recovering from being thrown against the floor, but still appeared to be holding her own. Meanwhile, Cancer was clearly dominating his opponent, the Spirit's speed and dexterity keeping him from even being hit as he landed cut after cut, steadily snipping away. Strands of hair and specks of blood peppered the air and floor with each attack, yet the Gorian seemed more annoyed than injured. "Cancer! We need you to cut chains!"

"OK, baby! Step aside!" She moved out of the way as Cancer retreated towards her, keeping his eyes on the Gorian as he went. Once he'd reached the open door, he took a single glance at the room before leaping over his opponent and, with quick flicks of his wrists, throwing his weapons. The scissors flew, open blades forcefully snapping together upon nearing their targets, and cleanly severed the links. As the shears clattered to the ground, Macao fell with them, limp like an unstrung puppet, but Happy had already been in position to catch him. Cancer, left without an offensive option, relied on his agility to keep from being struck. But it was clear that he was getting tired by now. "I'll need them back, baby!"

Lucy scrambled to seize the scissors, rising just in time to see Cancer get punched into the wall so hard that he wound up partially embedded in the stone. He muffled a scream as a loud crack was heard and his shell fractured as though he'd been hit with a hammer. Before the Gorian could land another blow, Cancer ripped free of the wall and vaulted over his opponent, revealing that three of the six crab legs on his back were bending unnaturally, now dangling limply. With careful aim, she hurled the scissors back to her yet airborne Spirit, who caught his weapons and immediately reengaged the Gorian upon landing.

Cancer smoothly moved his fight far enough from the door that they were able to leave the room safely, Happy flying carefully to avoid hurting Macao. Down the corridor, Lisanna had finished her own battle, leaving her opponent unconscious on the floor, and was currently recovering against a wall, her body still transformed and marked with new injuries. Noticing that they had Macao, she abandoned her rest, moving toward them as quickly as her limp allowed, yet coming to a stop before the door through which the second Gorian had arrived.

Fortunately, Cancer didn't need any help subduing his own opponent. With his weapons back in hand, he'd kept snipping away until the Gorian simply collapsed from the countless cuts that had been made. With so much hair gone, it seemed more like a human, albeit one that was bleeding all over its body.

And just like that, the fighting was over, leaving the corridor suddenly silent.

Cancer stood over the Gorian, his body shaking slightly as he tried to ignore his own pain, and readied his scissors. "Lucy," he said, his voice barely keeping the coolness it usually did, "do I finish it off, baby?"

She looked at the defeated Gorian, who remained conscious despite its inability to fight. There was only resignation in its expression, lacking any of the hatred or hostility she'd expected. "You can't kill them," she said, astonishing both her Spirit and their fallen enemy. "They're sentient too. It's against the rules."

Cancer, frowning and seeming displeased with himself, stared at the Gorian. "They are? Oh dear, baby." Spinning his scissors around his fingers, he managed to stylishly holster them at his belt again. Kneeling next to his opponent, he added, "Sorry about that, baby. I didn't really notice you weren't a monster."

The Gorian, still stunned, looked up at the Spirit. "It's… alright." Its voice was female, but still as rough as Ian's had been and laced with exhaustion. "I didn't exactly give that impression, did I?"

Cancer nodded, rising again and turning back to Lucy. "What now, baby? I can't stay for much longer. You and I are both pushing ourselves further than usual. And you haven't heard from Taurus, have you?"

It wasn't until now that Lucy realized how right he was. Summoning two of her strongest Spirits, leaving Taurus on the summit, having them fight such powerful opponents; she couldn't imagine how tired out they'd have to be, especially since their loyalty kept them from voicing any complaints of fatigue. But Lucy was suddenly acutely aware of the extent to which her own magic power had been depleted, and she hadn't even been fighting directly. Her body felt drained, despite having done less physical effort than everyone else. _What do we do now? Just retreat or…_

Lucy looked to her allies. Happy was mostly focused on keeping Macao in the air, but he still managed to stare at the fallen Gorian with an unnervingly dark look. The Exceed seemed willing, maybe even _eager_ , to do what Cancer wasn't allowed to attempt. She moved to break his line of sight with the Gorian, prompting him to direct that expression at her, which frightened her more than the mission had so far. _But I'm not backing down!_ The two of them remained like that for several seconds, each silent and still.

Happy seemed to calm down, but he flew away from her without acknowledging the tense situation and joined Lisanna, who hadn't moved from the door and was only just now looking away to notice them.

 _What is even in that room?_ Lucy had begun heading toward them when the Gorian suddenly tried and failed to rise. "Wait!" Cancer stood ready to act, his scissors drawn again. "Leave them alone, please!"

"Them?" Lucy didn't move from where she was. "Whoever they are, we're not going to harm them if they don't try and attack us." Her words made the Gorian stop in the middle of another attempt to rise. "What's your name?"

The Gorian hesitated only for a moment. "Elisabeth. But I prefer Lisa."

"Alright, Lisa. I'm Lucy, that's Cancer," her Spirit nodded, "the cat's Happy," Lisa looked very confused, "I mean his _name's_ Happy," now there was understanding, "and the girl's Lisanna. We're all friends of the man you've kept prisoner." There was a flash of guilt on the Gorian's expression. _Huh…_ "We came to get him back when we found Dr. Baudin and Ian; they told us what happened. I've got some questions, but first, I'm checking the room." A look of panic on Lisa's face now. "I'm just looking! No one is going to harm you or them, so long as everyone stays calm, OK?" She resumed her walk. "Cancer? Watch her."

Happy and Lisanna were still in front of the open door, only their attention had been diverted to Macao, who'd been set down against the opposite wall. As Lucy approached, the two of them looked up from their guildmate, sharing a quick glance. "He's in awful shape, but I don't think he's in danger of… dying."

Lisanna's voice struggled to remain calm. Up close, and with her body back to normal, it was clear that she wasn't in excellent condition, either. She carefully favored her right leg and there were new bruises on both arms. Her lips, chapped from the cold mountain winds, had split in the fight, making her mouth resemble that of a predator with a fresh kill. Lisanna noticed her staring at the blood and wiped it off with a hand, but that didn't make her look away. "Lucy?"

The sound of her name snapped her out of the trance she'd fallen into. Shaking her head, she gathered her thoughts again. "Alright. That's excellent. We can get him out of here once we're done with all this."

"With what?" Happy seemed annoyed. "We don't need to deal with any of this. Let's just go find Natsu and get off this mountain, so Macao can get some medical attention."

"Happy, I know that you're worried about him." The Exceed's frown only deepened. "I am, too. Really." He either didn't believe her or didn't care. "But we can't walk out of this. Not just yet. Right, Lisanna?"

"I mean…" That indescribable tension was back, now mixing with her evident reluctance to pick a side. "Macao's not about to die." Happy looked up at her, shocked. "I know, I know! But what do you think we can do, run and let the Gorians kill what's left of the researchers?" He only seemed slightly abashed.

Lucy turned to the open door, tuning out the rest of their conversation as she learned what was inside. _What the…?_

The room was long and had been emptied of furniture, probably to make room for all of the corpses. Bodies, both Gorian and Human, were laid out carefully, almost as if they'd been prepared for a funeral. Some kind of flower had even been left on top of each one. Walking in, she saw that pieces of paper had been pinned to them with thumbtacks, apparently naming them all. Bedsheets, stained red from blood, shrouded many forms and, when she lifted one, she gagged and dropped it again, understanding why. And yet, there was a surreal allure to the whole arrangement. It might've made for a beautiful painting.

Grabbing a stray flower, she left the room, finding that Lisanna and Happy seemed to be done talking. The Exceed didn't look… happy. _Gods, may that pun never stop being funny._ "So?"

Happy was looking into his open backpack, searching for something as he spoke. "I guess it's alright. Just…" He sighed. "Try and be quick about it!" He turned away from her without another word, now holding a roll of bandages and a tiny bag that shone from within. As he approached Macao, he pulled on the bag's drawstring, opening it and letting multicolored light to escape as he extracted a crystal orb, glowing bright green and about the size of a marble.

Lucy looked to Lisanna just as he began waving the orb over Macao's body. "Medical Lacrima?"

She nodded, smiling faintly. "Happy's not great in a fight, so he makes sure he can be useful afterward." They turned back and watched as he tended to Macao. "Talk to that Gorian," Lisanna nodded at where Cancer stood guard over Lisa. "The one I fought probably won't be waking up soon."

"Yeah, I saw." Lucy smiled back as Lisanna put on her jacket. "You're really good at this, you know?"

"Eh." Lisanna shrugged, before zipping herself up with a wince. "I've been doing this for years now, but I'm not exactly a heavy-hitter in the guild. If you want a fighter, you should see Natsu or my siblings. When they get serious, it's like they're unstoppable." Adjusting her jacket, she leaned against the wall, still favoring her right leg.

Lucy walked over to one of the closed doors and entered the room, coming back out with an office chair and silently offering it to Lisanna, who took it with a grateful smile before sitting down. Heading back down the corridor, Lucy found that Lisa, who was now propped up against the wall, and Cancer were in the middle of a conversation that quieted as she approached. "Am I interrupting something?"

Cancer adjusted his sunglasses. "Nothing important, baby. We've just been explaining what we are to each other here."

The Gorian in question nodded from her place on the floor. "I might not know a lot about the world, but crab-people don't seem like an ordinary occurrence. These Celestial Spirits sound rather interesting."

"Yeah, they're pretty fascinating. But we can talk about them later. Let's focus on this situation, OK?" Lisa didn't seem ecstatic about it, but she nodded. "I've got questions, if you're up to answering them." Lucy crouched down, coming to eye level with the Gorian. "What's with the bodies? And the flowers?"

Lisa couldn't meet her stare, looking away with an uncomfortable expression. "We gathered everyone that died in the uprising and put them there. Better than leaving them out like trash. As for the flowers, those are starworts. But you probably know them as the namesake of this range."

"Stellaria?" Lucy held up the plant, relatively little with simple, small petals, and offered it to Lisa.

"The herbs grow at the base of the mountains." She took the flower. "I've gone to pick a few before."

"But why did you leave them on the bodies? Didn't you want to escape your situation?"

Lisa turned the flower between her huge fingers, taking care not to damage it. "I… I never wanted it to be like this. Very few of us did. We thought we'd just force our way out and leave this place behind. But that's not how it went down." Her voice had gained a raw regret. "I don't know what exactly happened, or who attacked first, but suddenly, the guards were trying to kill us. Out of nowhere, we were fighting to survive. And, when it was over, we saw how many, on both sides, were dead. Some of us even cried." The pain was gone, replaced by a cold hostility. "But not Caesar. He just accepted it. Asides from orders, he's constantly been focused on your friend. We've wanted to leave since the start, but he won't let us."

"It doesn't seem like Caesar's a very good leader. Why do you follow him?"

"I don't think a human could understand." She looked instead to Cancer. "Spirit, you must know what it's like. To have so little sense of the world, no real purpose of your own. To be drawn toward a leader, someone who seems to know what to do and why to do it, who seems to actually care about you. Isn't that what it's like for your kind?"

Her Spirit was visibly uncomfortable. "Cancer?" Lucy looked up at him as well. "Is that what it's like?"

He sighed, removing his sunglasses and looking at his master with those terribly human eyes. "Please, don't feel bad about it, baby." He smiled at her. "Remember, we came into existence because of you. We wouldn't _be_ without you. But, yeah. I get what she means. When humans lose their purpose, or when they have no leader, they can always find something else. Spirits can too, only we don't find it until we've been around for decades. But if, all of a sudden, you just died? I wouldn't know what to do. None of us would. If it's like Lisa said and these Gorians only recently started to think? They'd be stuck with the same deal, struggling to figure out the meaning to their lives. That's the curse of sapience."

"Cancer…" Lucy moved in to hug him, and he hugged her right back. "I'll do my best not to die before you've all figured out what to do without me, OK?"

"Honestly, baby?" He patted her on the back before letting go. "That's good enough for me."

Lucy brought a sleeve up to her eyes, wiping away a tear that was about to fall. She turned back to Lisa, who was doing her best to not intrude on the moment. "So, is there any way your allies will surrender?" The Gorian looked up at her, stunned. "It won't end well if you keep this up. Even if we all wind up dead, our guild just will send others. The Council may even get involved at that point." She seemed conflicted.

"But…" Lisa finally managed to meet Lucy's eyes. There was an immense fear and pain in her expression.

"Wouldn't Baudin and Ian be willing to stand up for you? And I'll argue in your defense, if it's necessary." Lisa's eyes widened. " _I_ don't want your kind to be hunted down or locked up. It's hard for me to speak for the others, since we only met recently, but I don't think they really want it either. You're a form of thinking life, and that's worth protecting. But the only outcome where I can see you surviving this, with any hope of freedom, is for you to stop the fighting and accept the consequences of what you've done." Lucy smiled sympathetically at the astonished Gorian. "Well? Are you willing to trust this human?"

Lisa was visibly struggling to find the right words. "I… can't believe this is happening. I never thought…" She rose from her slumped position, managing it with the wall's support. Now, she stood so much taller than Lucy, who was feeling only a few hints of fear in the shadow of this giant creature. "I don't know what our chances will be. But I'd rather believe you than keep trusting Caesar to not get us all killed."

She held out an open hand and Lucy slowly extended her own, managing to stay calm as it was squeezed in the Gorian's firm grasp. _At least she's trying to be gentle._ "Great. Then I think I know what we can do." Done with the handshake, she lowered her arm and tried not to think about her newly aching fingers. _She might need some more practice with the gentle thing._ "We'll leave the way we came, regroup with our friends and have them be ready for your surrender. You go talk to your people about standing down. Make sure Caesar doesn't hear until you've got some support. If it all goes well, he won't be capable of stopping it. Sounds like a plan?" Lisa nodded. "Alright then. We'll leave you to it. Cancer?" Her Spirit looked at her, his sunglasses back on. "I think you can go home. Try and get your injuries checked out."

Cancer chuckled. "I appreciate the concern, baby. But it looks worse than it is. My shell's pretty tough." He bowed to her. "Still, I could do with a second or two of home. Don't hesitate to call if you need me, though." He turned to Lisa. "Watch yourself, baby. It wouldn't be cool if we never got to talk again."

As the Gorian looked at him with a puzzled expression, Cancer vanished in a burst of light. "Is he always like that?"

Lucy nodded solemnly. "Pretty much. The Celestial Spirits are a quirky bunch." She started walking down the corridor, trying to stay composed now that her best ally had just departed. "Good luck on your end!" she called over her shoulder, not looking back as she walked. _First day as a guild magician, and I may've just saved a sentient race from wiping itself out. And this isn't even an official mission!_ She sighed. _I hope these aren't going to be a common thing at Fairy Tail._

She returned to where Lisanna and Happy were tending to Macao. Though he remained unconscious, he'd been extensively bandaged and, judging from the many dim Lacrima orbs around him, she assumed that Happy had gone through most of his medical supplies. The duo looked up at her as she approached.

"Made a new friend?" Lisanna asked, jerking her head back down the corridor. Lucy turned and saw that Lisa was already going the opposite way, slowly toward the stairs that led to an upper level.

"Sorta. It's hard to explain, but I might have just stopped the Gorians." Lisanna seemed skeptical while Happy chose to not even react, instead focusing on packing up his supplies. "I think we can trust her." She crouched down next to the Exceed, waiting for him to acknowledge her. When he refused to do so, she decided to go ahead and extend the olive branch. "Happy?" He continued to ignore her. "Happy?" He finished with his supplies and put on his backpack again, still not looking at her. "Happy-go-Lucky?"

The little Exceed actually hissed, but he finally turned to face her. "You were never to speak of it!"

"Well, I had to get your attention somehow, didn't I!" He frowned at her. "You really had me worried back there, the way you stared at that Gorian." He looked a little embarrassed, but remained silent. "Her name's Elisabeth, but she prefers Lisa. Turns out she didn't like anything that was going on either. She's on her way to try and get the other Gorians to surrender."

"Yeah?" She nodded confidently. "Well…" He suddenly seemed uncertain. "That's good to hear, then." There was a new awkwardness among them as Happy started idly scratching the floor with a foot.

After about half a minute, Lisanna spoke up. "Oh, for the love of…" She walked over to Happy, kneeling next to him and poking him once with a finger. "I know it's hard for you, but come on. You were wrong and she was right. If we'd left when you wanted, we'd be no closer to stopping the problem. Admit it!"

"Alright, alright." He rubbed the poked spot before turning to Lucy. "I'm sorry." Lisanna held up a finger. "For being an ass about this. I just…"

"You were worried about Macao." Lucy interrupted. "And mad at what they did to him. I get it. It's fine."

"Thanks." He looked at Lisanna. "See? She's not mad, I'm not moody anymore and I apologized. OK?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, before suddenly smiling and hugging him. He put up a token fight, mostly just making a pouty face that Lucy really struggled not to laugh at. As quickly as she had embraced him, Lisanna let him go. "OK." She rose again, no longer relying on her right leg, and looked to Lucy. "What do we do now?"

It felt weird, having these two experienced magicians turn to her for leadership. "Next, we get outside, find Natsu and let him know we've got Macao." She looked at the unconscious man, breathing steadily. "Then, we see about getting the Gorians to surrender and ending this entire… thing. That sound good?"

The two of them nodded before moving into action. Happy grabbed Macao again, fluttering back into the air, as Lisanna started walking down the corridor, back toward the exit. It was strange to her how they could just keep focusing on the mission, but then, they had plenty of experiences under their belts. Maybe this was how they avoided thinking about the worst parts of today, like the state of their friend.

Whatever it was, she felt all the authority she'd just felt from telling them what to do rapidly evaporate. And quietly, she followed them as they headed for the exit, moving around the yet unconscious Gorian. It wasn't until they'd reached the lowest level that she thought about her other active Spirit. Reaching for Taurus's key, she brought it up to her mouth.

"Taurus?" She whispered, the key glowing dimmer than she'd expected it to. "Is everything alright?"

"Miss Lucy?" He sounded tired, yet he seemed to be revitalized as they spoke. "I'm glad you're alright. The battle rages on. These foes are unyielding. But your fiery friend is quite the warrior; he's kept up with me quite well." She smiled at that. "Still, we could use some support. The civilians have almost gotten to safety, but they are not all…" He suddenly fell silent, but she managed to avoid panicking. Though they had to speak in order to communicate, their link was mental; if it hadn't been cut entirely, Taurus must've been distracted by something. "Pardon, Miss Lucy. A foe tried to exploit my distraction."

"It's alright, Taurus. We've retrieved the hostage; tell Natsu that Macao's safe. We're on our way back."

"Understood, Miss Lucy. Farewell." With that, their conversation was over and the key went dim again. She looked up, seeing that Happy and Lisanna were waiting at the mouth of the maintenance passage. They'd heard everything and it seemed to have lifted their moods, even bringing smiles to their faces. Despite the fear and disgust she'd felt only a few minutes ago, their expressions proved infectious and, as they all made their way toward the hatch that led back outside, a smile also made its way to her face.


End file.
